Father Charged With Child Not Attending School
A 53-year-old father was today [July 3] charged in Magistrates Court with failing to ensure his child attended school
Michael Lopes was charged with, as the parent of a school age child, failing to ensure that the child attended school at the Berkeley Institute on dates between September 2012 and January 2013.
Mr Lopes was present and pleaded not guilty, and his wife was due to be appear but Mr Lopes said was home was sick. The Senior Magistrate bailed Mr Lopes for $500, and he must reappear later this month.
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WHAT!?!?!?!
Got caught drunk driving but need your license to drive truck? No problem here you go.
Got caught with your “friend’s” joint in your cigarette pack? Dont worry, you can go.
Kid didnt make it to school..off with his head!!
Do we have the Ringling Bros. as Magistrates now?
This is an interesting charge. We should collectively wait for more details before commenting.
If you have a child in School you would know that you as the parent CAN be charged with truancy if your child is out of school for extended periods of time without a valid explanation……Note that you are not just taken to court there is protocal that is followed and you would get phone calls and letters prior to the actual charge.
Wow you can be blasted all in the news for your kid not going to school but the pedophiles and rapists are protected. Bermuda is another world.
I agree, sad what we are allowed to see and hear versus what we are told we cant see or hear about.
The courts should put a ban on the parents being named!Naming the parents clearly leads to the identification of the child and that is just plain wrong! As others have said, pedophiles and all kinds of other deviants get protection and their names withheld and these parents don’t? That’s just crazy!
With that said, and I’m not commenting on this case in particular as it’s still before the courts, but just commenting in general: it takes A LOT before the Education department brings a parent to court for something like this and they give you ample warning. If a child is legitimately sick, all you need to do is present a doctor’s note and it’s fine. However, if a kid misses school and the attendance officer calls and you don’t have a reasonable explanation and the kid STILL misses school, that’s when they have no choice but to take the parent to court. I still think that the parents shouldn’t be named, though, as to save the child embarrassment.
The big question is WHY? Much is missing from this story methinks.
Bullying? Home schooling? Could be a legit resin inna?
They think they’re grown. Caught mine talkin bout he’s skippin school at the bus terminal with so called friends. After the embarassment i caused him it never happened again. Graduated with honors 3 years ago at 16 years old…… Court??? No….Old School!!
Just crazy . Child allegedly does not go to school so you force her to go and what if she leaves then what
Unfortunately some parents cave into their kids too much instead of laying down the law. The kid whines to stay home and then the parent gives in because it’s easier. Like someone said, the authorities give you plenty of chances. Even if you don’t have the doctor’s certificate and call and say your kid is sick, they seem to leave you alone. It’s when you really tear the azz out of it or simply don’t call that they crack down. It’s weird-it seems as long as you keep calling they don’t do anything. My daughter went to school with kids who were always out sick but the parents called so it was an ‘explained absence’ as opposed to ‘unexplained.’ When the authorities keep seeing unexplained absences is when they take action. If the kid is legitimately sick, just keep the school informed as all. Oh-and stop spoiling them-don’t want to go TOO BAD. Unless there is bullying at which time you should take action, there’s no excuse to keep the kid home just because he doesn’t feel like going.
Nothin’ nor no-one likes a beatin’,that’s what you do next! “Spare the rod you spoil the child”
Somthing is definitely right here – a hell of a lot more to this story!
Trust me -a lot of madness is going to cum out of this story’.
Are you serious? This is probably the most ridiculous article I’ve read on here.. How the hell is a parent supposed to know that their kid is going to school if they see them off every day in their school uniform on the bus going to school? What more do you #%^*ers want? The parent to drive them and walk them Into the school every day? How’s that gonna work if the parent is busting his #%% working all day every day to support said child? Furthermore, if this is who I think it is, they’ve been at the adult education school doing what the bermuda education system fails to do, listen and help every individual kid based on their own strengths and weaknesses. Seriously bermy, get your info before you charge a man with a stupid accusation.
First of all watajoke if you knew anything about the education system in Bermuda if a child misses so much days of school the attendance officer calls the parents to give them a heads and they are to come school and shadow that child. And if they was smart enough parents and the child goes Adult Education they should have withdrawn the child out of the school because by law you can’t be enrolled in two educational institutes at once when under the age of 18. Secondly adult education is not there to do what our education system doesn’t all they offer is a GED which is for people who could obtain there high school diploma. All they do is prepare you for the GED test which is Basic English Math Science & Social Studies most of which was taught when they was 14 years old. So before you spew off angry remarks you get your facts straight. The parents should have played their parts so yes they are held liable.
@ Young Educator . . .I agree with the view you are trying to present, however be careful with your analysis of what is done at the Adult Education Center, as the GED is an alternative equivalent high school diploma that is accepted by many colleges. Let’s not undermine what they do. Go back and read the graduation speaker’s comments, and how the Adult Education School allowed her to complete high school, go on to college and complete her degree.
However the GED can not be sat for a child under 16 years old . . .an if according to the comment you were responding to the parents had enrolled their child at The Adult Education Center, then you are spot on that they had an obligation and responsibility to withdraw their child from the public school he/she was attending.
My sister actually went through the same thing with her son. She actually drove her kids to school, but after you drop them off, only God knows what the kid does. After numerous attempts to find out what the issue with him was and visits from the truant officer my sister had to throw her hands up in the air and say “You don’t want to go school then I will pull you out, but….. once you are out of school you are also out of my house. He thought she was joking…… ask me where he lives today….
Young kids….. keep ruining your lives. One of these days you WILL grow up and realise that maybe you should have listenened to mama.
Thanks Ty – Could not have worded it any better!
The parents names should have never been published!!
In Las Vegas if a child is wandering around and not in school the police have rights to pick them up and take them to the police station until parents arrive. I don’t know what the procedure is after that ie. how often it happens
Because of my profession, I am very HAPPY to see this. We have students even in the primary school system who run their parents and get away with not coming to school for days on end. Parent claims child is sick, but child comes to school and reveals the truth to his friends which teacher often times over hears. Parents need to stop lying on/ for their kids! I hope more parents are brought before the courts. If there is legitimate reason then it’s on the onus of the parent to contact the school administrators/counselors to help rectify the situation. But do no just allow the child to get away with staying at home. Looking forward to seeing how this case turns out.