A York woman has become the first person in the city to receive a parenting order because her children are truants.

The city's magistrates imposed the order on the 38-year-old woman after hearing that her 13-year-old daughter had missed or been late for more than half the school sessions between May 2 and October 24 last year, and that her 15-year-old daughter had skipped or arrived late for more than 40 per cent of her sessions.

Mark Smith, of City of York Council, told the magistrates yesterday that numerous attempts by the school and the education authority to speak to the mother about the issue had failed.

"They are not going to get anywhere in the world if they don't go to school," senior magistrate Elizabeth Hjort told the woman. "You must appreciate that by your children not going to school, you are committing an offence."

The mother, from west York, who is currently on benefits, and who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted two offences of failing to ensure her children attended school.

She was given a 12-month parenting order, under which she has to attend meetings with the authority, receive counselling and guidance from an education officer, and ensure her children get to school. She was also fined £100.

If she breaks the order, she could be fined up to £2,000.

Outside court, she said that the children were teenagers, and she objected to the law punishing a parent for the actions of teenagers.

But she thought the parenting order was a good idea because it ensured she would be in contact with the school.

Earlier the woman had told the bench: "I don't feel I am a bad mother. I feel I have done well by them."

She had been ill last year, but she now ensured the children left home in plenty of time to get to school.

The girls had had problems with other children at the school, which the school was now sorting out.

Her daughters were saying one thing to her and another to the school, and there was a "lot going on" that neither side knew about.

The council has arranged a meeting between education officials, the mother, and the children for next month.

After the case Mark Smith said: "What we want at the end of the day is for children to go to school regularly.

"We become concerned when children are not in school.

"There are lots of initiatives that the Government is looking at to try and improve levels of attendance in school.

"There is some evidence to show that the parenting orders can work and that is why central Government brought them in."

Updated: 10:38 Friday, April 30, 2004