It is a strange paradox to see the number of countries in the Global South incapable of assuring access to education for all while in the rich countries of the North, where this same access is universal, parents are threatened with fines or prison terms for their children’s absenteeism from school.  In an attempt to overcome this phenomenon, a number of countries have instituted repressive measures regarding parents.

In England an estimated 55,000, primarily secondary school students cut classes every day.  More than a quarter of them are absent without authorization for seven school days.  Faced with the extent of this phenomenon, the authorities have taken the offensive and are threatening the parents of persistently delinquent students with large fines, and even prison.

In France, the “Conseil des ministres” recently gave its approval to a proposed statute for equality of opportunity which proposes the creation of a “Contract of parental responsibility” calling on parents to respect the duty of regular school attendance.   In cases where this obligation is not respected, the proposed law anticipates, in addition to the imposition of a fine of 750 euros, the temporary suspension of family benefits and the seizure by the Attorney General of goods capable of making up the penal infraction. 

In the United States, the Departments of Education and Justice have gone so far as to affirm that absenteeism from school leads to crime.  In certain states, notably Virginia, Pennsylvania and Texas, parents risk imprisonment for not having assured the requisite school attendance of their children.  

Absenteeism from school is concentrated in areas described as “sensitive” where there is economic, social and cultural failure, and where rudeness and acts of violence increase daily.  However, according to several observers, other relevant factors should equally be taken into account such as, for example, violence at school, the feeling of a loss of self-esteem because of an experience of failure at school as well as a perception on the part of the students of a profound variance between their values, interests and expectations and what is offered to them by the school. 

Successive educational reforms undertaken by developed countries over the last twenty-five years have not been able to reply satisfactorily to the indifference of a significant minority of students regarding school.  If governments continue to focus exclusively on the elite to assure good governance of public affairs, they may find themselves faced with social disruption that will make them bitterly regret their procrastination in employing the necessary political will to mobilise all young people for educational success and to use means other than illusory and repressive ones in order to achieve this goal.    

References: 

BBC News. “Parents hit with truanting fines” 24.06.05.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4618639.stm

Department for education and skills (Great Britain). “Fast Track to Prosecution Framework – Towards Better Case Management”

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/schoolattendance/uploads/Fast track%20to%20Prosecution%20Framework.doc

Libération. « L'idée de taper les parents au portefeuille refait surface ». 15.11.05

http://www.liberation.fr/page.php?Article=338468

Ministère de l’Éducation (France). « La lutte contre les manquements à l’obligation scolaire »,

http://www.education.gouv.fr/prevention/violence/manquements.htm

Blaya, Catherine et Carol Hayden (2003). « Constructions sociales des absentéismes et des décrochages scolaires en France et en Angleterre ».

http://cisad.adc.education.fr/descolarisation/documents
/Blaya_complet.pdf

Encyclopedia of Everyday Law | Truancy (United States).

http://law.enotes.com/everyday-law-encyclopedia/89948#GETTINGTOUGHONPARENTS

U.S. Department of Education (1996). “Manual to Combat Truancy”

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Truancy/index.html

Centre international d’études pédagogiques. « Décrochages et raccrochages scolaires Des systèmes aux pratiques - Repères bibliographiques ».

http://www.ciep.fr/bibliographie/ries35.htm