A proposal to make schoolchildren produce a medical certificate if they miss class even for one day has been scrapped, according to a new truancy policy announced last week. However, parents will have to write to the head of school to justify the absence and, if possible, present documentation to back their claim.
Also, in suspicious cases, the head may still ask for a medical certificate “if this is deemed to be in the best interest of the child”, the policy says.
In a circular issued by the Directorate of Educational Services and the Directorate for Quality and Standards, parents were notified that, if the reason given was not deemed justifiable or written justification was not submitted within nine days, children would be marked absent.
In such circumstances, parents would be liable to a €7 fine and an additional penalty not exceeding €2.33 for each day during which the offence continued, in line with the provisions of the Education Act.
Also, parents with a low income who are eligible for the supplementary allowance would lose part of this benefit, on a pro-rata basis, if they are found at fault.
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