Cash offered for truancy schemes

INGENIOUS schemes to fight truancy will receive a share of a pounds 10m grant promised to councils yesterday by the Government.

John Patten, Secretary of State for Education, believes truancy, running at 20 per cent among 15-year-olds in some inner-city schools, is often the first step to crime. Nearly half of the offenders have played truant.

Ministers want councils to improve links with parents through educational welfare officers, motivating the most reluctant pupils and countering bullying. In one scheme, pupils have to clock into each lesson with an electronic identity card.

Patrols by police and education welfare officers are used to round up truants in some cities and head teachers have suggested a shorter working day as one solution.

Some councils are looking at ways of making lessons more relevant to the most difficult pupils. From next month all schools will have to publish their truancy rates.

The Association of Metropolitan Authorities called the move a publicity stunt. It said: 'There is no quick fix. Cutting down truancy is about tackling the problem at its roots, which is often back in the community and not necessarily much to do with the school. Children are being kept off school in some families so that they can contribute to the family income.'

The money will come from the Grants for Educational Support and Training programme which will be pounds 320m for 1993-94, with councils finding 40 per cent of the cost of each scheme. The National Curriculum and improving school management will take pounds 250m, with pounds 10m for inner-city schools.

The AMA and National Union of Teachers said the money in the programme had fallen sharply since last year when it was pounds 377m. The AMA said: 'The funds available for training also went down last year. We are looking at a long-term decline when the need for training is growing.'