Increase in truancy – NUT view

21 September 2005

Commenting on today’s announcement of a 0.2% increase in the number of pupils truanting from school, Steve Sinnott, General Secretary, said:

“These figures are extremely disappointing, especially given the efforts made by schools and government through the ‘Sure Start’ and ‘Every Child Matters’ programme.

“The Government must keep its nerve in tackling these problems. There are no easy solutions to truanting.

“Identifying the 8,000 hardcore truants at 146 schools and targeting them for specific help to end the truancy may provide the spur which will end the truanting of these children.  Equally the prospect of prosecution leading to a hefty fine or possible imprisonment of parents if attendance does not improve during those 12 weeks may be a sufficient shock.  It may also be a deterrent to other parents who do not take their responsibilities for their children’s regular attendance at school sufficiently seriously.

“Sadly there is a small group of parents who do not respect education and they come not just from deprived circumstances but from among the better off as well.  This attitude seriously damages children’s future prospects and leaves them vulnerable to the temptations and dangers of the streets.

“There may also be problems related to drink and drugs which undermine the stability of some families which require longer term attention.

“Schools do not readily reach for court action to overcome problems of truancy.  That only happens at the end of a long line of other approaches.

“If the incidence of truancy is to be reduced, it can only be done with the support of local authorities.  Only they have the resources to provide the services neeced for such work.

“Truancy is not a new phenomenon: but it has to be tackled no matter how difficult or intractable the problem may seem.”