LAWFUEL – The Legal Newswire – Tough new laws in the UK mean that headteachers will be able to take parents to court if their children misbehave.
They can apply for a civil order requiring mothers and fathers of wayward pupils to take parenting classes – with fines if children continue to step out of line.
Parents also face a criminal record and possible £1,000 fine if children are found roaming the streets after being excluded from school.
And in a further move, the parents of suspended pupils will be hauled before headteachers for a “reintegration interview” before their child is allowed back into the classroom.
Announcing the measures, Ed Balls, the Children’s Secretary, said he wanted parents to take responsibility for their children’s behaviour. But the new tough line was criticised by charities who said previous crackdowns had failed to arrest truancy rates.
