Anti-truancy measures ‘having little effect’
At least 70,000 pupils are still skipping school every day despite the government spending £1 billion on anti-truancy methods, a new report reveals.
Rates of unauthorised absence have remained unchanged for the past decade, research by New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) finds, while permanent exclusions have increased by one fifth since 2000.
The government has made cutting truancy rates a priority and has introduced a host of measures to tackle the problem, including threatening parents of truants with jail, introducing electronic registration and providing learning mentors for truants.
And the NPC, which advises charities on where their money could be best spent, welcomes the government’s efforts, noting in particular that initiatives such as the national behaviour and attendance strategy are still in the early stages.
But while it also highlights good practice in some areas, it warns: “There remains significant room for improving the situation.”
The report continues: “Evidence from progressive schools, local education authorities (LEAs) and charities shows that levels of truancy and exclusion can be reduced.
“However, significant change at a national level is hampered by not only a number of practical difficulties, but also the increasing tension between being seen to be tough on problem behaviour and balancing the needs of all pupils.”
Education secretary Ruth Kelly defended the government’s anti-truancy measures, saying the £1 billion spent “has produced dividends”.
But she insisted parents must begin to take responsibility for their children’s school attendance, saying that many of the pupils picked up on truancy sweeps were found to be with their parents.
“We have got to get across to parents that it is really important for children to be at school and learning every day,” Ms Kelly told Today.
“Where local councils have taken the powers that the government has given them, for example to impose a fine or face the parent to attend a parenting class, we have seen dramatic falls in the truancy levels.”
The reasons behind truancy vary, although the report does highlight a number of trends. For example, it finds more than 60 per cent of excluded pupils have special educational needs.
In addition, it finds children entitled to free school meals are up to four times more likely to be excluded, while black pupils are three times as likely to be excluded.
Rates of exclusion vary widely between secondary schools, with 40 per cent of schools not excluding any pupils and just 100 schools making up one tenth of all exclusions.
The NPC suggests the pressure of league table rankings exacerbates the problem, as head teachers exclude troublesome pupils in order to maintain or improve their league position.
It notes the full scale of the problem is still largely hidden, as many children who turn up for morning registration are often skipping some lessons during the day.
But the report warns that action must be taken, saying: “There is a big economic incentive for society to tackle this issue, quite apart from the human suffering involved.”
