TRUANCY

Derby College is using a text messaging sytem to fight truancy and improve communication with 2,500 students with the aim of improving the college retention rate by 1%. Under the scheme, students who do not show up for class will be sent a text message if they do not show up within 30 minutes of the lesson starting. A message will be sent to the parents or guardian of any students who are under 18 - if they fail to respond. Some students have expressed concerns about the Big Brother aspect of the system - and say they do not like the idea of being "watched" all the time.

But the college says the idea is to provide more information to the students in a convenient fashion. The college will use text messages to tell students and parents about day-to-day college information such as timetable details, assignment due dates, parents' evenings and college events. The students or parents will be able to respond to messages and explain any absences - either before or after class. This information will be automatically forwarded to the appropriate tutor who will follow it up.

The college, which has 27,000 students across three sites, plans to encourage student co-operation by offering incentives such as free ring tones. It will also congratulate learners on their achievements. Students who do not have their own phones may be supplied with one under the programme, but almost 95% of students already have one, the college says. Derby College will finance the scheme with a £230,000 grant from the Treasury that is offered for innovative initiatives to enhance public services.

"If we contact a student or carer on the same day of the absence then we've got a much better chance of identifying a problem and resolving it," says Graham Golding, head of research at Derby College. "It has an inclusive, student-centred approach, which involves students in the design process and enables them to tailor the service - in consultation with their mentor - through a personal web page. The messaging system will start with a pilot involving business students in February 2004, and a final roll-out is expected in September 2004.

Parents caught with a child out of school could face an on-the-spot fine of up to £100. A government consultation proposes fixed penalty notices of between £25 and £100 if the children are out of their classes without permission. The fines could be imposed by head teachers, police or council officers in England. The plans are meant as an instant reinforcement for existing laws which can mean parents being jailed for three months. Official statistics show that more than a fifth of England's secondary school students (21%) are absent from school without permission at some point in the year, on average for 15 half-day school sessions.

Fifteen per cent of primary school pupils were away, for eight half days on average. The government estimates that about 50,000 children truant every day, and those picked up on "truancy sweeps" are often with their parents. Failure to secure regular school attendance of a registered pupil is already a criminal offence for parents. They can face fines of £2,500 each or three months in jail. The government wants the fixed penalties to work as a quick "sharp reminder" to parents of their responsibilities. Recently, more parents have been sent to jail over truancy in an attempt to crack down on the problem.

PROPOSED TRUANCY FINES
£25 - Parent agrees absence unauthorised and pays in 14 days

£50 - Parent does not agree absence was unauthorised and pays in 14 days or Parent agrees absence was unauthorised and pays in 28 days

£100 - Parent does not agree absence was unauthorised and pays in 28 days

England's top education official has blamed parents and head teachers for the Government's failure to stop children skipping school. Sir David Normington, permanent secretary at the Department for Education and Skills, said it was "very disappointing" truancy rates had not reduced. But some head teachers were failing to apply strict rules on school absence while too many parents condoned their children's truancy, he said.

Recently, the National Audit Office savaged Sir David's department for failing to reduce truancy rates despite spending £885million on improving behaviour and cutting absence. Sir David told the Commons Public Accounts Committee, "It is important to reduce all absence because absence is very much correlated with poor performance in schools. It's very important within that to try to reduce unauthorised absence and I accept that the figures are very disappointing in that regard."

In 2002, the DfES was set the target of cutting unauthorised absence, which includes truancy, by 10% but by 2003-04 the rate was unchanged. Sir David said, "We know that quite a lot of truants who are not in schools are with their parents, it's condoned by their parents." Some of these pupils are looking after their younger siblings at home, he said. Some head teachers also fail to implement tough policies, including the threat of legal action, calling parents as soon as a child is missing and putting enough money into developing a clear policy.

Parents wanting to take their children on holiday in term-time could face fines and even court action under a new system being introduced in Derby primary schools. Head teachers are being asked to judge whether or not pupils should be given time out during term using a points system. If the number of points accrued exceeds eight, head teachers will have the right to refuse to authorise the holiday. Failure to comply could result in parents being fined up to £100 per child.

Until now, parents were supposed to have filled in a form to apply for a child's absence and head teachers were able to make their own judgement. In reality, most absences were allowed and become authorised. In the new system, the points are set against certain criteria such as current school attendance and the proximity of tests and examinations, but mitigating circumstances, such as long-term illness, can result in points being subtracted.

One point is given if the holiday would be taken more than 16 weeks away from exams. During exams, it is an eight-point penalty. Four points will be given if pupils miss between 30 and 20% of lessons a year. If parents disregard a head teacher's decision, the city council would issue a £50 penalty notice for failing to ensure that a child attends school on a regular basis. If this is not paid within 28 days, the penalty is increased to £100, payable after 42 days, and failure to pay will result in the case being placed before a magistrates' court. (Source: Derby Evening Telegraph, Dec/06)

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