COMMENTARY ON SECTIONS Section 20 – Amendments to the Education Act 1996
60.Section 444 of the Education Act 1996 creates the offence on the part of a parent of failing to secure the regular attendance at school of a registered pupil. Section 20 amends section 444 of the Education Act 1996 by substituting a new subsection (4) so as to refer to a local authority’s duties under this Measure and making a consequential amendment to subsection (5). A parent will have a defence to a prosecution if a local authority has failed to discharge a duty under this Measure to make travel arrangements.