Truancy

AccyJay · 21-09-2006, 12:14

I've just been watching the news & story came on about how school truancy rates are now at a record high. This is despite the government (2 different education secretaries) spending £15 million on the project. This is just another example of Tony Blair and his cronnies failing to deliver on their promises.

For all the facts & figures, check out the link below.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1234598,00.html

WillowTheWhisp · 21-09-2006, 12:19

Maybe it would help those figures if schools got their records right too. I just got a message from Moorehead to tell me my daughter hadn't shown up for registration this morning. I know that! She's here at home with an injured foot which I have already phoned and told them about.

AccyJay · 21-09-2006, 12:31

I don't think that's the main problem though. It's estimated that approximately 50,000 children skip school every day. They can't all be admin errors. The system is all wrong, persistant truants are given rewards for going to school.

SPUGGIE J · 21-09-2006, 12:41

Why do they hate school so much that they dont go? If they could answer that then that would be half the battle.

AccyJay · 21-09-2006, 12:51

Very true. My points is that, why reward the truants? another failed initiative, hospitals closing, council taxes rising & the government wastes £15 million. If the truancy rate had fallen, then fine it would be justified.

SPUGGIE J · 21-09-2006, 13:00

Its not a reward its a bribe or a bung.

AccyJay · 21-09-2006, 13:06

So where does it end? If a good pupil with good attendance thinks "hang on a minute, if i start bunking off & get caught, i'll get rewarded when i go back to school". It's a vicious circle.

SPUGGIE J · 21-09-2006, 13:12

It wont end because at the end of the day a kid is "graded" according to how they behave by their peers. If Billy Jones decides to spend a few weeks "otherwise engaged" in something other than school it is considered cool. The disipline or lack of it at home means most just shrug any parental concern off knowing even a clip round the lug will get their parents in trouble. The law protects them and in a way encourages it. A report card is a badge of honour with all the rewards that go with it.

Those that attend 100% and leave with a good education are not neseceraly do any better in life than those that dont. Those that stay can only hold in there and hope one day they do get their reward and those that dont face real conciquencies.

AccyJay · 21-09-2006, 13:22

It's not always the parents fault, in my younger days i used to bunk off school on a regular basis. My mum was a lone parent & worked 12 hours a day. She was usually at work in a morning after i'd finished my paper round, & i'd gone out when she came home. She was oblivious to that fact that i missed lessons.

CASPER · 21-09-2006, 14:56

My daughter is also at Moorhead and they have free reward trips every term for good attendance, they also have to be punctual. Good behaviour also counts towards a place on the trip. She has been on all of them, to places like Accrington superbowl, Camelot, Lightwater Valley and Alton Towers. It's fantastic to see the good students being rewarded

WillowTheWhisp · 21-09-2006, 15:06

I know the admin errors are only a small part of it. I was just feeling particulalry miffed with Moorhead after they sent me the message!

There is something topsy turvy about kids who play truant being rewarded when they do attend school. Some schools have a reward system where those who've had full attendance get to go on trips at the end of the year which is OK as long as they don't penalise the ones who are absent due to illness.

When Mimi had a road accident a couple of years ago she still got to go on the cinema trip even though she'd spent time in hospital and recuperating at home with home schooling. Unfortunately it doesn't always work that way.

I agree that a lot of it probably comes down to peer pressure and lack of discipline. Somehow it's gone too far when kids know they can get away with so much and who ends up being really punished? The parent! A mother can end up in jail for failing to ensure her 6ft teenage tearaway is at school put how is she supposed to deal with it? Maybe if she'd been allowed to smack his legs when he was only 4ft 2 and started skiving off she might have stood a chance.

jackyalex · 21-09-2006, 22:02

do they still have the truancy officers walking round accy or have they stopped that now

slinky · 21-09-2006, 22:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackyalex

do they still have the truancy officers walking round accy or have they stopped that now

Jacky are you still on first name terms with him after all these years LMAO

Less · 21-09-2006, 22:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackyalex

do they still have the truancy officers walking round accy or have they stopped that now

Why? are you thinking of bunking off tomorrow and you want to know if the coast is clear?

jackyalex · 21-09-2006, 22:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by slinky

Jacky are you still on first name terms with him after all these years LMAO

lol i think i am,no truancy officers up here instead kids are not alowed in any cafes outside dinner times,