Schoolboy is told to improve attendance

A mother-of-three has been ordered to ensure her teenage son attends high school after repeated absences forced education enforcement officers to step in.
Wigan and Leigh CourthouseWigan and Leigh Courthouse
Wigan and Leigh Courthouse

Education officials repeatedly visited the home of Olga Gaborova after her son continually failed to turn up at Lowton High, Wigan magistrates were told.

For one four-week period in March and April, the teenager failed to attend the Newton Road school at all, the court heard.

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Mrs Gaborova, 36, of Gordon Street, Leigh, admitted a charge of failing to ensure the school attendance of a child and was fined £170 with £100 court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.

Jessica Hodgkinson, prosecuting on behalf of Wigan Council, said the education service began to take action when his attendance at Lowton High fell to just 43.1 per cent.

Magistrates were told that a number of home visits were conducted, reminding the mother of her obligations concerning her teenage son.

Miss Hodgkinson said there were also concerns that his brother was also failing to attend the school.

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Eventually Mrs Gaborova was summoned to a meeting in April, after her son’s attendance dropped to zero over a previous four-week period.

She signed a contract promising to ensure his attendance improved to at least 50 per cent. But the problems continued and court proceedings were launched against the mother.

Even after the legal action had begun, the son would still often only arrive at school at 10.30am or 11am.

Speaking through a Slovakian interpreter, the defendant said her son had become increasingly difficult after hitting puberty and refused to attend lessons.

She had tried to force him to turn up for classes but she also had to take his younger sister to primary school before going to work, the court heard.