Part IV

General and supplementary
Chapter I

General

Failure to secure regular attendance at school
72
1
In section 444 of the Education Act 1996 (failure to secure regular attendance at school)—
a
after subsection (1) there is inserted—
1A
If in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1) the parent knows that his child is failing to attend regularly at the school and fails without reasonable justification to cause him to do so, he is guilty of an offence.
,
b
in subsection (8), for “this section” there is substituted “subsection (1)”,
c
after that subsection there is inserted—
8A
A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1A) is liable on summary conviction—
a
to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale, or
b
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months,
or both.
8B
If, on the trial of an offence under subsection (1A), the court finds the defendant not guilty of that offence but is satisfied that he is guilty of an offence under subsection (1), the court may find him guilty of that offence.
2
This section does not apply to an offence committed before the section comes into force.
1996 c. 56.