Published on:
06
June 2003
Gone are the days when pupils caught truanting were chased back to school by the infamous 'pluggie man'.
Now the way local councils deal with truancy is very different - even though the name has stuck!.
Last year the Council appointed its first School Attendance and Welfare Officer who is now working with children living in the Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) area. Today's School Attendance and Welfare Officers take a more holistic approach to a child's welfare. School attendance is high on the council's agenda and thanks to new systems the Council can record, trace and tackle truancy in its early stages.
Dave Jones, Director of Services to People said: "Unauthorised absences from school and the exclusion this can lead to often result in some pupils losing out on an education.
"The Council has more than one strategy in place to tackle truancy. These include supporting families, liaison between schools and families and working with a variety of other agencies to make school attendance a priority. Now by bringing in dedicated officers we hope to tackle truancy by working more closely with youngsters and their families to find solutions that suit everyone involved."
Over the next few months another two School Attendance and Welfare Officers will be in post to allow all schools throughout Clackmannanshire to have this service..