Success for texting to tackle truancy
Feb 5 2008 by Paul Loraine, The Journal
A TRUANCY-TACKLING text messaging service for parents has been hailed a success by several schools.
Parents also praised the service which sees automated texts sent when their children fail to turn up for registration.
Five Newcastle secondary schools are now running the scheme and three more are set to follow suit after the Government set aside funds last year.
While All Saints College, St Cuthbert’s in Denton Burn, Walbottle Campus Technology College, and Westgate Community College have all started using the service, Benfield, St Mary’s in Longbenton and Walker are waiting to have their applications for funding approved.
Meanwhile, Kenton secondary has had the system in place for more than four years.
Yesterday, Norman Huntingdon, the assistant head teacher at Kenton school, thought the scheme could play a part in changing truancy levels in the North-East – giving parents no opportunity to plead ignorance.
He said: “We have run the text-messaging scheme for four years now.
“All city schools struggle on the issue of attendance but at Kenton the vast majority of the pupils have a very good attendance record.
“You get youngsters turning up for school, getting a mark by their name and then disappearing.
“You also get parents dropping off their children in the morning and then they don’t actually go into school.
“What we are saying to parents is that there are no excuses on knowing whether or not their child is at school.”
Each of the teachers at Kenton has a laptop on which they take the morning register.
A wireless link connects the computers to an automated messaging system which stores all the parents’ contact details.
Despite Mr Huntingdon’s enthusiasm for the system, he warned against seeing it as anything but a small part of a wider drive to encourage attendance. “Most parents have told us the system is very reassuring.
“But obviously, encouraging attendance is much bigger than this system. Some parents will receive the messages and not respond – they might come from an era when the curriculum wasn’t as engaging and may not believe in education.”
Meanwhile, Suzanne Payne, 42, whose 13-year-old son Alexander is a Kenton pupil, said: “From my point of view it’s very good because it’s a reminder to let the school know when Alex is off.
“Like any system, it’s not going to work for everybody. What it does is it makes sure the parents know their child hasn’t shown up and the responsibility is then with them. You can be the most conscientious parent in the world but sometimes kids bunk off school.”
