Petition Update — Why This Matters Now More Than Ever 🙏🏽

Today, I was given a 6-month suspended prison sentence because my children were late to school 90 odd days in a year.

The court did not properly take into account my personal circumstances, the genuine reasons for our lateness, or the efforts I’ve made to engage with the school.

Worse still, false claims were made in court that I “do not engage with the school or services” — despite my records proving otherwise.

This sentence is not just about me — it’s about a system that punishes struggling parents instead of helping families.

We are facing a law that treats lateness as a criminal offence worthy of prison, even when the underlying issues are complex and often linked to health, disability, childcare, transport, or other life challenges.

Parents should not be dragged through courts, fined, or threatened with prison when what they really need is support, understanding, and practical help.

Punishment does not solve the problem — it only adds stress, debt, and trauma to families, while doing nothing to improve a child’s education.

This petition calls for urgent reform so:

Support is the first response, not prosecution.
Schools and councils work with parents to solve problems instead of punishing them.
Court action is an absolute last resort, only in extreme cases of wilful neglect where children aren’t attended school at all.

My case proves the law is broken. If we don’t speak out, more families will face the same treatment.

Please, Please 🙏🏽 share this petition far and wide. The louder our voices, the harder we are to ignore.

Together, we can push for a fairer system that helps children thrive — without destroying their parents in the process