19. My child is truanting. What are my responsibilities and rights?
If your child is truanting, you must remember that it is your legal duty to try to ensure that they go to school. If you don’t try to make your children go to school then it is possible that you could be prosecuted.
If your child is truanting, try to find out why. It may be that they are being bullied at school or they are unwell and need medical treatment. If you think your child is out of control you should ask social services if they can help.
You should work with the school and the education welfare service to get your child to attend school. If your child is truanting, you are much less likely to be prosecuted if you are doing all you can to stop the problem.
If you are prosecuted, you should immediately seek legal advice.
If you need help dealing with your child’s truanting or any other aspect of education, we recommend that you speak to one of our education advisers on 0845 345 4 345 for specialist advice. Telephone specialist advice is only available if you qualify for legal aid.