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A school governor has criticised attendance policy at Waltham Forest schools because he believes it discriminates against families with ties abroad.

Nazir Butt said parents taking their children to visit dying relatives in other countries for extended periods of time could be unfairly penalised by receiving a Truancy Penalty Notice (TPN).

If parents are given a TPN they will be fined £100 which is reduced to £50 if it is paid within 28 days and they could be prosecuted and then fined up to £2,500, given a parenting order, community service or face jail.

Waltham Forest Mayor Liaquat Ali and his wife were recently fined for taking his daughter out of school during term time without permission.

Mr Butt, a governor at Downsell Primary School, Leyton, said: "Parents should not have to pay fines or appear in court. Children have emotional ties with their family members and it would be wrong for them to ignore that.

"It's discriminating against families at our school many of whom are from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Europe."

Downsell headteacher Usha Sahgal said: "Our attendance policy falls within the Local Education Authority guidelines and was approved at a meeting last week, which Mr Butt did not attend."

A council spokesman said: "We have a statutory duty to ensure regular school attendance and all schools in Waltham Forest have agreed the borough attendance policy.

"Furthermore, research has shown that attendance is linked to attainment, therefore for children to achieve their full potential, they need to attend school regularly.

"We do not condone removing young people unnecessarily from education during term time and will seek to take action against those responsible."

He added there were 52 prosecutions between September 2006 and August last year for unauthorised absenteeism, resulting in 30 fines.

3:43pm Wednesday 23rd April 2008

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