Parents have to pay 5.000 dinars because their children skipped classes: First school fines in Pancevo

The parents of two elementary school pupils had to pay the fine of 5.000 dinars because their children skipped classes. This is the first case of implementation of a new law on education, which stipulates the responsibility of parents for the unjustified absence of children from classes, Informer found in the Misdemeanor Court in this city.

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The court in Pancevo, however, submitted a total of 88 charges against the parents of pupils who skipped class since the passing of the law, and besides the 2 fines, 10 warnings were issued, while the other proceedings were pending or suspended. Minister of education, Mladen Sarcetic said that Pancevo is the first city to apply fines according to the new law on education, and it will be applied to all schools from the new year.

Foto: Wikimedia/Laslovarga

FINES FROM 5.000 TO 100.000 DINARS

Sandra Medakovic, the spokeswoman of the Magistrates Court in Pancevo, explained the procedure against the parents of children who skip classes.

- These penalties are foreseen in the new Law on the Foundations of the Education and Upbringing System. According to the new regulations, parents are obliged to give a reason why their child didn't come to the school 48 hours from the moment that happened. After that, they are obliged to formally justify classes within 8 days. If this does not happen, the school informs the competent Secretariat of the City Administration and the Center for Social Welfare. The City Administration further submits a request for the initiation of a misdemeanor proceeding against the parents or guardians to the court. The fine for this violation is from 5,000 to 100,000 dinars (42 - 845 euros), and if the parent does not pay the fine, they can be placed in prison, face social work or the block of their bank accounts - Sandra Medakovic said.

WARNING AND THEN A FINE 

A warning is issued at first, and if a student continues to skip classes without excuses, then the parents are fined. This is what happened in the first two cases.

Foto: Tanjug/Zoran Žestić

- When you have a bad system, you have to go gradually, to clean up and to introduce new rules. That is why we decided to administer this new law gradually, together with the local governments - Sarcevic said.

(Telegraf.co.uk)