A NEWPORT mum was fined for a third time yesterday for failing to send her child to school regularly.

Rhianne Holvey, 32, of Dean Street, admitted failing to secure the attendance of her 14-year-old daughter, at St Julians School, between August 31 and December 25, 2009.

She was previously charged with knowingly not sending her daughter to school, but Newport city council reduced the charged because the girl's attendance had improved in recent months.

Nicola Willis, prosecuting, told Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court that out of a possible 144 school days the girl went 80 times.

The court heard education welfare officers had written to and visited Holvey to address the problem but the poor attendance continued.

Holvey was previously fined for the same offence in August 2008 and again in April 2009, the court heard.

Gareth Driscoll, defending, said the girl was a lot bigger and stronger than her mother and Holvey found it difficult to persuade her to go to school.

He said Holvey would wake her daughter up every morning and trusted her to go to school but it was difficult for her to ensure she went because she was at work.

The Iceland checkout worker was fined £50 which was reduced to £35 for her early guilty plea. She was also made to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £50 towards court costs.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: Is fine sufficient?

THERE will be many raised eyebrows today at the fine imposed on a mother who found herself in court for the third time for failing to send her child to school.

Magistrates gave Rhianne Holvey a £50 fine yesterday for the offence - then reduced it to £35 because she had pleaded guilty at an early stage.

Holvey was in court charged with “failing to secure the attendance” of her 14-year-old daughter at St Julians School, between August 31 and December 25, 2009.

Holvey was previously fined for the same offence in August 2008 and again in April 2009.

What many will question today is if the fine was sufficient.

Does a fine of £35 send out the right message to other parents whose children don’t attend school?

The court was told the child’s attendance has since approved but we do not know by how much.

Regardless of that, the fine for this working mum does seem extremely low and falls well below what it would have cost to bring this case to court in the first place.