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ARCH comment on the Spring 2005 attendance figures for England and Wales, released 21/09/05 Truancy: if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got The latest truancy figures are back at 1994 levels, with an increase of more than 10% (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/4265536.stm) and the Government’s reaction has shown exactly why things can only get worse. Instead of admitting that radical ideas are needed, the Government is subjecting us to the same tired old bluster and macho threats. Prosecute more parents, even more quickly? Well that’s really going to help children value their education. Send parents to prison and put their children in care? Just take a look at the truancy rates of looked-after children. It’s strange that a Government so wedded to the management techniques of industry cannot recognise that the answer to a seemingly intractable problem isn’t to carry on doing even more of the same. If a Chief Executive behaved like that, shareholders would justifiably start asking questions about his competence. Truancy is getting worse, despite a string of initiatives that have cost close to £1bn. Why? Until we try to understand the reasons, there isn’t any point in quick-fix prescriptions. What happens to turn a bright, curious toddler into a young person who is completely turned off from learning? Maybe we should start asking children themselves for some ideas, because it’s pretty clear that adults haven’t got a clue what to do. Other reading - NFER report on fast track
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