Truancy
The government is pledging tough action as part of a new drive to tackle the problem of truancy.
It is estimated that nearly half a million pupils miss school every day despite government schemes costing £885 million.
The latest drive will target serial truants, who now face a range of new measures including parenting contracts, penalty notices and "fast track" prosecution.
Government Response: Department for Education and Skills
Derek Twigg, schools minister, said:
"However, a stubborn hardcore of two per cent of pupils remain determined to jeopardise their education and their futures through persistent truancy. We will continue to support local education authorities and schools facing the greatest challenges with targeted measures that we know work in improving attendance.
"We will also not hesitate to support schools and local education authorities that use sanctions such as prosecution and penalty fines for those parents who are simply unwilling to get their children into school."
Party Response: Conservative
Tim Collins, shadow education secretary, said: "In 1998 Labour promised a one third cut in truancy levels by 2002. The reality has been an increase of a third despite the heroic levels of money spent on headline grabbing initiatives to combat the problem.
"The only area where four Labour education secretaries seem to have been able to make a difference has been on authorised absences - anyone can turn down a parental request to go on a skiing trip but it will take firm action to cut back on the persistent hardcore of offenders who refuse to attend school.
"We will not turn a blind eye to this problem. The next Conservative government will give head teachers and their professional colleagues the responsibility and resources to draw up challenging academic lessons and vocational courses that will enthuse and encourage children of all ages and abilities back into their classrooms."
A spokesman for the SHA said: "An immense amount of work is being done by senior staff in secondary schools to improve attendance figures. Schools use a wide range of methods to combat truancy, including first day calls to parents, text messaging and expensive technology to monitor attendance.
"I welcome the government’s support in dealing with serial truants. Many of the worst offenders have the tacit support of their parents in staying away from schools."
Stakeholder Response: Professional Association of Teachers
A PAT spokesman said: "Although it is encouraging that the overall rate of pupil absence from school has fallen since 1997, the number of pupils playing truant each day is still alarmingly high.
"We know that the government is taking action - such as 'truancy sweeps' - to tackle the problem, but more must be done. Schools and LEAs need more resources to be able to follow up cases of truancy.
"Children wandering the streets during school hours are an all too common sight. It is even more concerning that some are with their parents. It would be very interesting to know what proportion of 'truancy' could be described as 'condoned unauthorised absence', although such statistics may be hard to obtain.
"However, prevention is better than cure. Reducing truancy levels isn't just about catching truants. We need to reach hearts and minds and change the attitudes of truants and their parents. Children missing school are missing out on an enormous opportunity - a free education -and jeopardising their future chances in life.
"The government, local authorities, schools, parents and the wider community must work in partnership to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. Teachers need the support of parents. We need to encourage parents to foster in their children a greater respect for schools and a belief in the importance of education. The government too must look at and tackle the underlying causes of truancy."
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