In an article titled Truant students’ parents arrested on The Times Hearld website, District Judge Ester Casillo is quoted as saying “Once a citation for truancy is issued by this court, it is no longer a school issue but rather a court issue.” This sums up the lunacy – one institution tasked with an impossible mission ignores signs of its own failure, and then finds the ‘solution’ by passing kids and families off to yet another institution which can only offer an even less appropriate approach.

Maybe if I could suspend my lack of belief in the institution of public schooling it would make more sense. Maybe if an institution could fill the needs of children and families it would be different, but, I can’t get around the reality that schools are being asked to do the impossible – replace families – raise kids.

Sampling of truancy articles:

Truant students’ parents arrested

Child truant, parent jailed

Judge Orders Truants to Carry GPS Tracking Device

Classes starting for parents of troubled kids

School district, sheriff’s office agreement formally approved by commission

San Francisco Launches Program to Tackle Truancy

There is a thread of troubled families and lack of personal responsibility throughout these articles. Personal responsibility is one thing, responsibility to bolster a flawed institution is quite another.

Tags: Compulsory Attendance, courts, criminalizing children, Truancy

This entry was posted on January 20, 2010 at 10:02 am and is filed under Compulsory Attendance, Truancy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.