Keep them off the Streets
| Published: 25th May 2007 15:19 |
25 May 2007
KEEPING THEM OFF THE STREETS
84 children were wandering round the city centre in school time yesterday (Thursday 24 May), according to Sheffield City Council officers and police officers.
Yesterday's truancy sweep found 84 children and young people of school age in the city centre. 42 of them did not have an acceptable reason for being out of school.
43 of the young people were of secondary school age and 41 of primary school age.
"We're determined to stop this," says Cllr Jan Wilson, Leader Sheffield City Council. "I joined the sweep yesterday and was surprised to see so many children out of school without good reason.
"We're taking a very hard line approach to unauthorised absence, and we have already prosecuted a number of parents for refusing to send their children to school.
"It's clearly working, because we've seen significant increase in school attendance across the city."
Sheffield City Council is continuing to hold truancy sweeps around various communities in the city as well as in the city centre, working with South Yorkshire Police officers to ask children and young people why they're not in school and to follow up families where appropriate.
Children and young people who are not found to have a good reason to be out of school are followed up by both their school and the local authority.
Copyright © Sheffield City Council 1997 - 2007
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