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Parents who lie to get their children into a good state school face hefty fines imposed by civil courts under radical plans outlined today.
A government inquiry found councils catch only one third of the families who cheat on application forms to get the school of their choice for a child.
School admissions watchdog Ian Craig condemned the “theft” of places by “dishonest parents”. He said under the present system they face nothing more than losing the place they lied to get.
He added: “Parents have nothing to lose by lying. Additional sanctions are required — probably through the courts.
“Every place obtained by a parent through deception has the consequence of depriving another child of their rightful' place. This is not right, nor should it be tolerated in a fair admissions system.” His inquiry found:
* An estimated 3,500 families cheat on their application forms every year but only 1,200 are caught.
* 40 per cent of councils in England said they wanted tougher powers to punish cheating parents.
* The most common tactic is for parents to use the address of a relative, usually a grandparent, who lives inside the catchment area of a popular secondary or primary school.
* The second most frequent method of cheating was parents renting a flat for a few weeks during the application process.
* Other ways included pretending that the marriage has broken down and the child is living with one parent inside the catchment area.
Dr Craig, the chief schools adjudicator, said civil court action was “one of the options to look at”.
Fines in the form of damages awarded to the injured party, the council involved, could be imposed.
“If the majority of parents are honest and a dishonest few are depriving them of their rightful places, it is a form of theft,” he said. Children's Secretary Ed Balls commissioned a full-scale review of the problem by Dr Craig.
In a letter to Dr Craig, he appeared to rule out criminalising parents but left the door open for punishment through the civil courts.
Mr Balls said: “I understand that some local authorities have suggested that criminal or civil penalties could be used to sanction parents that undertake deceptive behaviour.
“I have always been clear that it has not been and is not our intention that parents should be criminalised. But I recognise that is a serious issue, and accept your conclusion that we need to look at further sanctions.”
Mr Balls commissioned today's initial study from Dr Craig after a London mother allegedly lied about her address in order to secure a place for her son at a leading primary school.
Harrow council wanted to prosecute Mrinal Patel for fraud after she applied using her mother's address — which is inside the small catchment area for Pinner Park First School.
Mrs Patel, 41, denied fraud and Harrow was forced to drop the charges after receiving legal advice that its use of the Fraud Act could be open to challenge.
David Ashton, leader of Harrow council, said: “I welcome the fact that today's report recognises that the law does not currently offer any clear sanction against parents who wilfully commit fraud on school application forms.
The schools adjudicator also quite rightly points out the need to publicise that a school place obtained dishonestly deprives honest parents who play by the rules. Harrow did not set out to be a trailblazer over school places but I am pleased that the report prompted by our case has set the stage for action over what is a national issue.”
Reader views (21)
The government should stop worrying about parents cheating to get school places and look at tackling poor performing schools. If we had better schools this wouldn't be a problem (the enquiry itself costing thousands.) Nothing wrong with wanting the best for your kids!
- Linda, London
What hate filled comments! Brains and push will always win out - deservedly so. It's called survival of the fittest. I support parents who do everything they can to get their children the best start in life (I am one myself): they don't deserve to be criminalised. If this countrys' schools are mostly so awful people lie to get their children into the only good ones - whose fault is that?
- Fantod, London UK
The numbers of parents attempting this kind of fiddle is small. However, its still a fiddle and its exactly the same as giving false information when applying for a vehicle parking permit or for Council Tax Benefit.
- Alan Griffiths, Forest Gate, LONDON.
I am childfree by choice so fortunately don't have this problem.
But as usual, both central and local government are seeking to punish the wrong people.
It is not wrong or dishonest of parents to try to get their kids into decent schools, so why should they be punished just becuase they cannot afford private education? Look at the hypocrisy of the likes of the Blairs and Diane Abbott, in pushing this substandard, rubbish "education" for the masses whilst ensuring that tgheir own little darlings get preferential treatment.
- Jane Rochester, london england
Nigel of London says that the present policy will put up house prices in areas served by good schools. Nigel is right and indeed this has already happened. I expect the next policy will be to officially bus children from other areas into the good areas and to bus children out of the good areas to achieve so called equality of education.
Alan of Wimbledon is also right, give the kids vouchers for their schools and that'll soon even out the quality of schools.
- Stephen C, London
"Let the punishment fit the crime - where parents have been found to be lying - the punishment is that their child will automatically be placed in the worst performing school in the borough!"
As ALL non-selective schools in most boroughs are totally **** I fail to see the punishment here Andy.
- Steve, Brentford
It costs roughly the same to educate a child privately as in the state system. Issue parents with vouchers and you'll soon find lots of big, shiny, new schools with plenty of spaces for children who want to learn.
- Alan., Wimbledon
If non selective state schools weren't such total **** we wouldn't have any of this trouble. End of.
- Steve, Brentford
Thanks for that.
Next year when the time comes to put my son down for a place I'll tell my 60 year mother in law babysitter (currently recovering from cancer) that she has to leave her house at 6.30am every morning, walk to her nearest tube, travel to us and take our son to his school, before going home the same way and preparing to do the same thing again later in the day.
As regards to people who do this being middle class - we'd be living in one hell of a better area than Dagenham if we were. Unfortunately we aren't and we both need to work to pay the mortgage.
A nice fine will help us out no end.
- Jason, London
NuLabour - Criminalise the trivial and trivialise the criminal.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, Hants
If the school system wasn't such a mess no one would have to do this in the first place? Typical Labour, destroy the school system and then fine parents? Fix the schools you useless pack of parasites!
- James Macleod Ritchie, Oyster Bay Cove
Interesting how cheating parents are to be punished and cheatin MPs make an apology & pocket the loot.
- Peter Dickins, audierne
So basically they are saying that you'll only be able to get your kids into a good state school if you can afford to MOVE INTO its catchment area. Spiffing idea. It'll push up the price of housing in the area, and very effectively exclude any oiks who are POOR from getting any kind of decent education for THEIR filthy offspring. To think that we used to have to pay private school FEES to maintain our advantage over the working classes. Well done, chaps. Worth every penny of your expenses claims.
- Nigel, London
The parents' behaviour is a symptom of the illness. The illness is caused by this Labour Government's poor education policies which cause decent parents to do desperate things. The parents have their priorities right, after all they pay their taxes and council tax for a decent education. The Governmnet takes this money and it is they that are the fraudsters by providing shoddy service in too many areas.
- Stephen C, London
Rather than penalising parents, councils and the Govt should ensure all schools are adequately staffed, funded and performing with excellence.
- Peter, Harrow, UK
Fine them - the only parents who do this are middle class parents who see it as their god given right to push anyone else out of their way to get their little bundle of joy into a good school - what about those parents who live near the school and have to arrange travel for their children who did not get in as a result of these lying parents. About time something was done about this as all it does is produce a two tier education system which only discriminates against children who already have the odds stacked against them. If a parent is caught doing this they should pay compensation to a local child who was not given a place - might teach these middle classes that they cannot take over any area that they see fit.
- Tracy, London
Not many caught at it then. How much did this silly enquiry cost ? Another Balls up.
- Davidke, ramsey isle of man
Right on Andy. That would be the biggest deterrent for parents who elbow other children out of their rightful school places. This is not a victimless crime. Other kids suffer, having to travel miles out of their own areas when cheats fill their school places.
- Anna, London
Really not surprising after 12 years of Labour education policy. Finding a good school is bound to make parents who care desperate!"
Blaming Gordon Brown for your own council's and your own mayor's educational priorities just doesn't make any sense Stuart. We expect a lot more fairness than that even if you feel depressed enough to wish to offload.
- Keith Price, Luton England
Really not surprising after 12 years of Labour education policy. Finding a good school is bound to make parents who care desperate
- Stuart, London
Let the punishment fit the crime - where parents have been found to be lying - the punishment is that their child will automatically be placed in the worst performing school in the borough!
- Andy, london
