Drug-taking truant pupil’s mum ‘tried everything’ to get him to go to school
A SINGLE mum appeared in court over her problem son not going to school and told magistrates she had tried and failed to get him to attend.
The 45-year-old Spalding mother of four told magistrates: “Basically I have tried everything. He’s 16, he’s 6ft and I have got holes in my doors.”
She said her son has a sleeping problem and a drug problem.
The woman said: “He’s awake all night and sleeps all day.
“He always says ‘sorry’ and he will go the following morning.”
When asked if she wanted to plead guilty or not guilty to being the parent of a child who failed to attend school regularly, the mum replied: “Guilty for him not going, but it is not my choice – I have tried.”
The single mum said she was on anti-depressants and had been seeking counselling through work.
She told the court: “I have got four children and he’s the only one I have had problems with.”
The mum was conditionally discharged for six months and ordered to pay county council prosecution costs of £100.
Anne Wheelan, senior legal officer at the council, told the court the 16-year-old boy initially had an unauthorised absence rate of 75 per cent, but since November he had not attended at all.
The court heard the boy hopes to gain an apprenticeship.
Presiding magistrate Gillian Wild told the mum: “You are on a conditional discharge. Just ask him not to let you down and it will help him with the apprenticeship.
“He does need to address this situation with regard to the drugs. It is not easy for you we know.”
• We have not named the mum so the children concerned are not identified.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
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Mr Angry of Tonbridge
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:50 PMSome youngsters just do not ant to go to school, they want to get out and work. If it were my child, I would be trying "tough love" for the drug problem. The youth should be in court alongside the parent(s) and also receive some form of punishment. It's not going to get any better if the school leaving age goes up to 18.
lincs lass born and bred
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:47 PMi was in the same situation apart from the drugs. my son would not attend school then my other sons started not attending i was at my wits end. i was also on anti depressants. then to add to it all the courts started to get involved. so tell me how do you get a son thats bigger than you to school? drag him there? and i tried taking away games consoles etc to no avail. but if its any help to this mother this happened to me a few years ago now and my sons have done ok since all have got jobs and settled down. i say to the system instead of taking us parents to court give us some guidence and help and support .
Wok Smuggler
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 01:10 PMQuote: "The court heard the boy hopes to gain an apprenticeship". Don't think this is going to happen, if the boy can't get his butt out of bed to go to school what chance does he have getting out of bed for an apprenticeship. This requires committment. The way he's going it will be the University of hard knocks for him.
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