72 year old gt grandmother prosecuted for wagger

[PrincessBandit]

I read in total disbelief that an old lady is being prosecuted for having a 13 year old in her care who is a persistent wagger. The further down the article I read (even trying to account for possible 'over sensationalism' of the issue) the more saddened I was.

Gist of the article: 72 year old great grandmother, who is not even claiming to be the legal guardian of the girl, is being prosecuted because the teenager refuses to go to school. She has apparently tried everything she can to get this girl to attend but to no avail.

Anyone else think that there is a lack of discretion in this particular case? (even if there are more issues going on than aired). Even parents can have a hard enough time with their kids and school attendance if the kid is determined to wag - and with a lot of schools really cracking down on truancy now with texting home that little so-and-so is "not present in class this morning" heaps of parents may not have even really known their kids were wagging.

Yes, there are cases of parent-condoned truancy - one of my friends was terrible for this. Any little excuse to let her many children stay home and she was writing notes to make up some reason why they "had" to stay home from school. In the case of this elderly woman in the article though she certainly doesn't seem to fit into that category and yet she's being blamed for a strong willed teen who is being totally uncooperative. There was no reason given as to why this girl refused to attend school e.g. maybe she is bullied etc. and has a valid reason why she won't go. But even so, if the care -giver has tried everything they can to resolve the issue and the student still digs in is prosecuting the guardian/parent/care-giver really going to solve anything??? I think not, except to place even great burden and feeling of failure on the part of an otherwise responsible adult.

And yes, I also know of students who would (for their own self-centred, self-absorbed, vindictive reasons) find it hugely amusing that this could happen.

[oneofsix]

I read in total disbelief that an old lady is being prosecuted for having a 13 year old in her care who is a persistent wagger. The further down the article I read (even trying to account for possible 'over sensationalism' of the issue) the more saddened I was.

Gist of the article: 72 year old great grandmother, who is not even claiming to be the legal guardian of the girl, is being prosecuted because the teenager refuses to go to school. She has apparently tried everything she can to get this girl to attend but to no avail.

Anyone else think that there is a lack of discretion in this particular case? (even if there are more issues going on than aired). Even parents can have a hard enough time with their kids and school attendance if the kid is determined to wag - and with a lot of schools really cracking down on truancy now with texting home that little so-and-so is "not present in class this morning" heaps of parents may not have even really known their kids were wagging.
I note she is being prosecuted for keeping the child from school, in a just world that would mean the Ministry of Education would have to prove that the great granny had been active in preventing the kid from going to school or at least encouraging her not to go to school.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/educ...rl-wags-school
Yes, there are cases of parent-condoned truancy - one of my friends was terrible for this. Any little excuse to let her many children stay home and she was writing notes to make up some reason why they "had" to stay home from school. In the case of this elderly woman in the article though she certainly doesn't seem to fit into that category and yet she's being blamed for a strong willed teen who is being totally uncooperative. There was no reason given as to why this girl refused to attend school e.g. maybe she is bullied etc. and has a valid reason why she won't go. But even so, if the care -giver has tried everything they can to resolve the issue and the student still digs in is prosecuting the guardian/parent/care-giver really going to solve anything??? I think not, except to place even great burden and feeling of failure on the part of an otherwise responsible adult.

And yes, I also know of students who would (for their own self-centred, self-absorbed, vindictive reasons) find it hugely amusing that this could happen.

This is a law that has gone the way the anti-smacking one will. It was bought in to deal with the likes of your friend or the lazy shits that just couldn't be bothered to send their kids to school but is being enforced in the mistaken believe that the parent still has the majority control of a teenager. Studies have proven that during teenage years peers and out the home influences have more control. Anybody with half a brain (so that leaves out half the people here) would know that a 72 year old granny would have 0 control over a headstrong teenager.

[Maha]

I used to wag alot from High School.
Infact, my weekly class time table had periods that were croseds out for wagging.
The only to get point the finger at, was me.
Sure I got caned a couple of times which made me think twice at the time, but only for a day or two.

[Motig]

Hope the judge throws it out. Poor womans looked after 52 foster children and then gets this crap. Why would you bother.

[Laava]

Sure I got caned a couple of times which made me think twice at the time, but only for a day or two.

Was that at school? Or other places of "hangout"?

[scissorhands]

What about all the undiagnosed slightly autistics and ADHDers who just dont fit in the current paradigm, either are being bullied, or are bully's. Natural expression squashed and more repressed neurotic future addicts pumped out of the factory to not serve society, but be a drain through poor management

Forcing round pegs in square holes? More of the same shit from stupid monkeys forcing conformity, not acknowledging difference, and creating future criminals. Why dont the morons wake the fuck up.

The birth mother who isnt around as caregiver, is prolly fucked up somewhere too, cost the tax payer a fortune. Not learning by mistakes are they?

School work death. Euthanase the little shits and make them all the same. Create a future with 100% the same group think work robots and see where that will get you

Sad that the little girl is not getting a decent education, and I'm not talking conventional schooling

[yungatart]

That is a sad indictment on our society, unfortunately.
Talk about putting the cart before the horse....

[oldrider]

This is my major gripe about the socialist "State owns everything" concept. (yes, even "your" children)

The State makes all the rules, tells parents how why when and what to do to raise the children, usurping all of the authority and making parents powerless in the children's eyes.

Then when all the socialist State theories go to shit, they hand the child responsibility back to the parent/family/etc and "blame them" for the failure! FFS!

The "State" (represented by people like Sue Bradford et al) is never wrong, when all else fails, just prosecute the Grandma that will do it every time!

Socialism ... all care taken, no responsibility, just make another law or rule that doesn't work and blame someone else!

[James Deuce]

It's the law. It's an arse, but it's the law.

We're in the shit with two of our kids because one has been properly sick a few times this year with hospital time and subsequent recovery time and the other has had the odd sick day (pneumonia twice). The "other" has had his teacher aides "repurposed" from time to time also, meaning he gets sent home and is reported, you guessed it, AWOL for a half day.

17 half days off and you get a letter from the School saying that they are watching you.

The truancy people are utter dicks too. They simply don't understand the difference between chronic and acute illness and are unable to see that when the school sends our kids home that it's not our fault or that we aren't somehow to blame.

You learn to deal with them in an off-hand and factual manner, but I do expect to be, if not prosecuted, forced into a conference with Police and Social Welfare some time this year.

Just remember, if they're from the Government and they say they're here to help, punch them in the ovaries or testicles and run away as fast as you can.

[oneofsix]

It's the law. It's an arse, but it's the law.

We're in the shit with two of our kids because one has been properly sick a few times this year with hospital time and subsequent recovery time and the other has had the odd sick day (pneumonia twice). The "other" has had his teacher aides "repurposed" meaning he gets sent home and is reported, you guessed it, AWOL for a half day.

The truancy people are utter dicks too. They simply don't understand the difference between chronic and acute illness and are unable to see that when the school sends our kids home that it's not our fault or that we aren't somehow to blame.

You learn to deal with them in an off-hand and factual manner, but I do expect to be, if not prosecuted, forced into a conference with Police and Social Welfare some time this year.

Just remember, if they're from the Government and they say they're here to help, punch them in the ovaries or testicles and run away as fast as you can.

now now as you say it is the law and like with the speed limits one must obey it to the letter no matter how stupid, counter productive, counter intuitive or dangerous it is. The law is the law.

[scissorhands]

The law is the law.

Niggers on buses?

Next they will forcing our heads down, our hands together, forcing us to our knees, forcing us to utter.......the KB national anthem. Its the law! Onward Christian soldiers, marching off to war.........

Its bad people management, plain and simple. Its like some despot regime that hasn't caught up with the modern world. Any company which treated its staff like this would go under in no time. oh wait

On ya Oldie, but I reckon capitalism is making the same mistakes as socialism, in not acknowledging neurological difference's in its citizens, and grossly fucking up by not making good use of future primary producers, designers, and thoughtful kids on a mission.

[oneofsix]

Niggers on buses?

Next they will forcing our heads down, our hands together, forcing us to our knees, forcing us to utter.......the KB national anthem. Its the law! Onward Christian soldiers, marching off to war.........

Its bad people management, plain and simple. Its like some despot regime that hasn't caught up with the modern world. Any company which treated its staff like this would go under in no time. oh wait

On ya oldie, but I reckon capitalism is making the same mistakes as socialism, in not acknowledging neurological difference's in its citizens, and making good use of future primary producers, designers, and thoughtful kids on a mission

Sorry dude but that was all posted tongue in cheek. I was having a poke at those that say the law is absolute.
BTW no matter what you the system, 'society' will always base it on the 'norm'. It does not matter that no one actually fits the exact 'norm' but when you melt all the abnormals together it the norm is the the classification you can get most people in or to agree with. If we were all the norm society would stagnate and never advance.

[scumdog]

I used to wag alot from High School.
Infact, my weekly class time table had periods that were croseds out for wagging.
The only to get point the finger at, was me.
Sure I got caned a couple of times which made me think twice at the time, but only for a day or two.

'crosed'??

Obviously spelling class was the one you wagged the most....

[scissorhands]

'crosed'??

Obviously spelling class was the one you wagged the most....

Obviously, the class most wagged, was English....

......Hitcher??

[James Deuce]

Sorry dude but that was all posted tongue in cheek. I was having a poke at those that say the law is absolute.
BTW no matter what you the system, 'society' will always base it on the 'norm'. It does not matter that no one actually fits the exact 'norm' but when you melt all the abnormals together it the norm is the the classification you can get most people in or to agree with. If we were all the norm society would stagnate and never advance.

Que? You're subject to the law and can be charged and prosecuted if there is any reason to think that you should be. It's not optional and your little bit of waffle about Norm there is either drug induced or you've been hit in the head more often than I have.

The best hope in the Grandmother's case is it appears that the judge thinks this particular law is being applied inappropriately. The quotes from the judge in the Stuff article tend to indicate that the judge thinks that this particular law is an arse.