1,147 parents charged in Court over children’s truancy

1,147 parents of children attending government schools were arraigned in Court and charged with failing to ensure that their children attended school in the last scholastic year 2015-2016, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said on Monday.

Bartolo, who was replying to questions put to him in Parliament by Nationalist MP Etienne Grech, said that a further 31 parents of children attending church schools and 10 parents of children attending independent schools were also arraigned on the same charges.

Of the 1,147 parents of government school children arraigned, 379 had their children in primary school, while 768 had children in secondary schools.

Bartolo said that 12 of the 31 church school children who missed school repeatedly, were in primary school and the remaining 19 attended secondary school.

In the case of the children attending independent schools, five were in primary school and five attended secondary school.

The total number of parents arraigned was the lowest in six years, with 1,294 parents arraigned in the 2014-2015 scholastic year, 1,595 (2013-2014), 1,398 (2012-2013), 1,609 (2011-2012) and 1,760 (2010-2011).

In the scholastic year 2009-2010, 1,145 parents had been arraigned.

Bartolo said that social workers and social support workers worked hard throughout the year in a bid to control absenteeism, intervening in the students’ school, family and social lives.

He said that this work was carried out with the collaboration of the schools, professionals and the Education Directorate, especially the Psycho-Social Educational Services within the Colleges.

Services offered included psychological meetings in schools, counselling, career guidance, psychotherapy and the Safe School Programme which addresses child protection, bullying and substance abuse.