South Wales Police and Swansea Council’s Education Welfare Team have been taking to the streets to crack down on truancy.
A specialist team found 109 compulsory school age children in Swansea during one of a series of regular truancy blitzes.
Police Officers were shocked to hear from 11 children who claimed their parents allowed them to truant as a treat for Christmas.
Susan Griffiths, Swansea Council’s Principal Education Welfare Officer, said: “There is an obvious safety risk to those pupils who are wandering the streets when they should be in school and we treat truancy very seriously.
“Truancy blitzes are vital in backing up the work already being carried out by our team of dedicated Education Welfare Officers who work hard to identify any issues faced by young people and their families which could have an impact on their future school attendance.
“Swansea provides a wide range of provisions for young people to access an education suitable for their age and ability. Truancy prevents the young people from taking advantage of this and achieving their full potential but truancy also makes them vulnerable to crime.”
Ten teams of police and truancy officers were involved in the operation and are calling on parents to take responsibility.
Susan said: “The message to parents is that we are working together to combat truancy and that parents need to take responsibility in ensuring their children attend school every day.
“Particular concerns for us are the absences authorised by parents. Forty young people were stopped who were accompanied by parents or an adult despite claiming to be too ill to attend school and, shockingly, 11 of them admitted they were in Swansea as a treat for Christmas.”
Chief Inspector Rees, of the Swansea Police Community Safety Department, said “Operation Not Cool to Miss School was run by officers from my department that included School Liaison, Specials and Neighbourhood Officers working side by side with the team of Education Welfare Officers. This day was just one of the many days arranged for the next year throughout Swansea.
“We targeted Swansea City Centre but we have already arranged similar operations with our partners for the North, South, East and West areas of the city. And as well as tackling truancy, we had a further ten police officers on foot in the city who provided high visibility patrols and reassurance to the public.”
Parents who condone truancy are liable to court action under the Education Act 1996 and can face fines of up to £1,000 for not ensuring that their children attend school regularly.
South Wales Police and Education Welfare Officers believe the operation has successfully educated people on the importance of regular school attendance.
Cllr Mike Day, Swansea Council Cabinet Member for Education, said, “Operations like this demonstrate a successful partnership approach between Swansea Police and our Education Welfare Team in helping to ensure pupils meet their full potential by attending classes regularly. This type of operation also promotes a safer Swansea.”
