bunking off

by Kendra Inman

Bunking off, wagging, skiving, or skipping – the names children give for staying away from lessons without the school's permission depends on where they live. Teachers and parents take a less lighthearted approach to the serious problem of truancy.

image to accompany feature
© C4

For some youngsters, playing truant may be a straightforward act of rebellion. The 14-year-old who eschews French lessons in favour of the town centre burger bar may be bored and in search of excitement. On the other hand their absence from the classroom could indicate a raft of problems, everything from bullying to learning difficulties. The reasons behind truancy can be complicated and research shows it's on the increase.

lost learning

Children lose five million days of their education each year through playing truant without the knowledge of their parents or through days off school taken with their parent's blessing.

When Manchester education welfare officers carried out a truancy sweep in the city's town centre last Christmas they gathered up 59 children in the first two hours alone. Over a two week period the education team confronted 380 truants, often with their parents, who were busy Christmas shopping when they should have been in school. John Carvel in the Guardian (November 1999) estimated that every school day about 50,000 pupils play truant.

Cutting truancy is one of the government's education pledges – it wants to reduce the number skipping school by a third by September 2002 but school performance figures for last year show the numbers are increasing. The average rate for unauthorised absences in English schools has risen from 1% to 1.1%. For more information about the scale of truancy go to help and info.

A number of initiatives have been introduced to tackle the problem including electronic registration and regular sweeps of town centres by police and education welfare staff.

playing away

Truancy is an emotive word, says Susan Rees, of the charity, Advisory Centre for Education. What is classed as truancy can depend largely on the school's attitude to the 'truant' or their problems.

'A parent might say they're keeping their child off school because they're being bullied. The school might call it truancy. It's a word that's often used to cover a wide range of reasons for absence,' she says.

Young Minds, the children's mental health charity also warns against leaping to conclusions about truancy. The organisation argues that poor attendance can be symptomatic of mental health problems which in turn can be caused by a range of factors including poor parenting, parental conflict, relationship breakdown, bereavement and poverty.

here sir

When schools complete their registers they must distinguish between authorised and unauthorised absences. It is worth noting that parents can't sanction an absence by sending a note or making a call. Only the school can okay the day off by accepting the explanation.

It is reasonable to assume that playing truant is something that's done without the knowledge of a parent or carer. But for many schools parentally condoned absence is a greater problem. Schools should be able to enlist the support of parents when it comes to tackling truancy. But when a parent doesn't value education, wants their child to help them out at home or believes their child has good reasons for staying away, the task is altogether more challenging.

parents

Parental attitudes to education are crucial to schools success in keeping children in school.

'If a parent had a very negative experience of school themselves they may sympathise with a child skipping lessons,' says Peter Eldrid of Parentline Plus. The sick notes reporting a string of unlikely sounding conditions may point to a form a legitimised truancy, he says.

Studies have highlighted the importance of parental attitudes. Research carried out in 1993 found that 44% of truanting pupils believed their parents knew they were absent. Of non-truants 48% said they were held back by their fear of their parents finding out.

It is not just parents who did badly at school that are concerning ministers. The government has blasted otherwise supportive parents who think nothing of taking their family holidays during term time. Critics of 'tourist truants' say two weeks in the French Alps which means they miss vital parts of the curriculum gives just as negative a message to a child as a note for a fortnight off school for a mild cold.

Schools will only exceptionally agree to your child missing more than 10 school days for a family holiday or other reason during one year. Some schools may refuse to authorise any absence for holidays.

does it matter?

Children who play truant very often select the lessons they want to miss, says Peter Eldrid of the parents advice charity Parentline Plus. Usually these are subjects they find difficult or boring or where they clash with the teacher. One common pattern is for truants to attend school for morning and afternoon registration but somehow sneak out during the day.

Missing lessons is bad news for any young person and truancy is likely to have a negative impact on their education and job prospects.

High rates of absence and truancy have an impact on all pupils, say schools. Children who constantly turn up late for lessons are disruptive and truanting has a negative effect on school morale. Also children who are truanting could be in physical danger or at risk from being drawn into criminal activity.

when the pressure's on

Young people face a range of pressures at school. They may be bored or disillusioned with education. Maybe their educational needs aren't being met. Staff or parent's expectations of them could be too high and they might need extra help, or too low resulting in boredom.

Parents who are concerned about their child's progress should ask to meet the school's special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), which could lead to extra help and support.

the law

Most local education authorities employ education welfare officers (EWOs), sometimes called education social workers, to monitor attendance and help parents fulfil their responsibilities under the law.

Welfare officers often visit families whose children fail to attend school regularly. These visits are the start of a process which may, in the worst cases, end with the family being taken to court.

Parents and carers have a duty in law to ensure their registered school age children are educated. Under the law children must receive schooling from the start of the term after their fifth birthday to until the third Friday in June in the school year in which they turn 16. The local education authority may take legal proceedings against parents whose children do not regularly attend the school (unless the parents can prove they're being successfully educated at home).

The LEA can also take parents to court if their child is persistently late for school. Parents who fail to comply with court orders can be fined up to £2,500 and/or be put in prison for up to three months.

home educators

School is not compulsory but parents must ensure their children are educated. The law allows parents to educate their children at home if they fulfil certain conditions. If you teach at home you must make sure they are suitably educated for their age and ability. Parents are not legally required to inform the LEA that they have decided to educate their child at home but it is advisable to do so. They should inform the school where their child is registered. For more information, check out our feature we don't go to school.

what to do next

For many parents a call from their child's school is the first time they hear their child has been truanting. Feelings of shock, surprise and embarrassment can quickly give way to anger. But no matter how furious you are with your child you need to discuss the matter at the earliest opportunity, calmly. And before deciding which course of action to take.

Child psychologists point out that your child may have very good reasons for failing to attend school and it's important to establish first what lies behind the problem. Truancy can be a cry for help, so steaming in with all guns blazing could be counterproductive.

tips for tackling truancy

Parentline Plus, has this advice for parents:

It is important to respond to any calls or letters you receive from the school – failure to do so could make the problem worse.
Telephone or write to the school and arrange a meeting with the headteacher, deputy head or head of year to discuss the problem.
Ask if you can take a friend or relative with you for support and make a list of things you want to ask before attending the meeting.
Make a list of points made at the meeting. Try to stay calm even if you don't agree with what they say and listen to them.
If you feel like you have too much on your plate already, or are dealing with divorce or bereavement, it is important to see the school as a source of support. Accept any help offered. You can tell the school, in confidence, about problems you're experiencing at home. These may shed light on your child's behaviour and help staff decide the right course of action.
You are likely to achieve the best results by talking to your child when both you and they are calm.
Try to avoid making your child the problem – it is their behaviour that's the problem and behaviour can be changed.
Don't blame or shame but do let them know how you feel.
Listen to them. Ask them to explain their behaviour. If things get heated, have a break and talk another time.
Even if you do not agree with what they are saying it is important to keep the lines of communication open. Try to let them know you are there to support them.

(March 2002, resources updated June 2005)

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