The parents of 1,283 students were taken before tribunals due to school absenteeism in the 2018-2019 scholastic year, information tabled in Parliament read.

PL Whip Byron Camilleri asked Education Minister Evarist Bartolo to detail such information.

The parents, Bartolo said, would have been referred to the legal system due to not giving a valid reasons to the respective school administrations when their children did not turn up to school for more than three consecutive days, he said.