teachers to text parents of truants

Use Immediate Issued: Thursday, 19 May 2005

HIGHLAND TEACHERS TO TEXT PARENTS ABOUT TRUANTS

Parents of pupils in some Highland schools could soon receive texts on their mobile phones to alert them to their children truanting.

Members of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee today (Thursday, 19 May 2005) agreed to the introduction of a pilot Automated Call System in a number of Highland schools.

The schools, still to be chosen, will be identified as having a significant number of pupils who truant on a regular basis.

The purchase and installation of the Ł58K Automated call System and initial training for school staff has been funded by the Scottish Executive and will be piloted during school session 2005/06

Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service will monitor the effectiveness of the pilot system in reducing levels of truancy.

Members also agreed to a revised strategy aimed at improving pupil behaviour in primary and secondary schools throughout the Highlands.

Funding allocated from the Scottish Executive over a 3 year period 2005/06 Ł386K; 2006/07 Ł581K; and 2007/08 Ł879K will be used to further support the training of staff; to support the development of positive behaviour of disruptive pupils and to:

	ensure that support for pupils and families is introduced as early as possible when behaviour issues are identified;
	increase the allocation of Pupil Support Service Staff to each Area of the Council;
	establishing additional Children’s Service Worker posts;
	develop a comprehensive training strategy for all teaching and support staff across all schools within the context of Integrated Community School developments.

Bruce Robertson, Director of Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Service said: "Disruptive pupil behaviour and truancy are societal issues across the whole of Scotland and they are the most pressing issues that face teachers on a daily basis. It is the low level disruptive behaviour that affects most teachers and classes in general.

"For truancy, texting is the first proposed point of contact as many parents do have mobiles phones and there will be follow-up dialogue between teachers and parents about truanting pupils."

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For further information, please contact: Donnie MacDonald, Head of Education Services, The Highland Council, Education, Culture and Sport Service tel: 01463 702804.

Date Last updated : 19/05/05