3,794 fines issued in 2013 over truancy at school

3,794 fines were issued to parents and guardians as a penalty for school days capriciously missed by their chidlren during 2013.

The fines – €7 followed by an additional €2.33 for every other failed attendance – are issued by the regional tribunal. The total pending amount currently stands at €508,062, down from €1.4 million.

The majority of fines are owed by parents who not only ignore requests to appear before a tribunal but who also ignore the fines issued against them.

The government has identified the first group of 100 parents who will now receive a legal letter from the Office of the Attorney General as a final warning to parents who repeatedly failed to take action over their children’s truancy.

It is understood that the purpose of the exercise is not to collect revenue but to encourage parents to send their children to school. The parents were identified by the Education Psycho-Social Services Unit within the Ministry for Education.

Legal action against parents with substantial amounts of pending fines for not sending their children to school is being taken to tackle absenteeism at school. 

A collective, informal decision taken 25 years ago allows students to miss three days from school every month without requiring them to present a medical certificate.
It appears that students have so gotten used to the system that it is carried forward to when they start working – the system has been identified by GPs.

While it is a child’s right to receive education and the parents’ legal obligation to observe it, the rate of truancy in Malta remains high, especially at secondary level.

Pending fines to be paid by parents

Region                        Amount due

South                           €204,877.73

South East                   €155,058.10

North                            €81,481.64

Central                          €66,009.39

Gozo                                  €635.85

Grand Total               €508,062.71