An officer from the National Education Welfare Board has described a case of truancy in Dublin as the worst ever seen by the board.

Speaking at Dublin District Court, the representative detailed how a 15-year-old girl skipped 89 out of 114 days in a school year - a total that has resulted in the teenager's mother being fined 300 euros.

Education board lawyers said the high truancy rate was not only down to a young girl who wished to rebel against the system, but also due to a mother who did not care about the situation.

The parent defended her actions by claiming it was very difficult to try and encourage her daughter to get out of bed in the mornings, while also questioning why her child had not faced legal action for her behaviour.

"My daughter is 15 years of age, it's not fair, she should be brought to court, if she walked in now you would think she was 20," she stated.

Written by Donal Walsh

Comments