Truancy rises by a third despite a parent being jailed every two weeks - they still can't see it doesn't work

In 2002, Patricia Amos hit the headlines when she was the first parent to be imprisoned because of her truanting daughter. There was an outcry at the time and many people said that this was not the way to tackle truancy.

Now, 7 years on, the authorities are jailing a parent every 2 weeks during term time and truancy figures have continued to rise. Any sensible person would, by now, recognise that jailing parents does not work. yet Children's Minister Delyth Morgan is quoted as saying "It's important that we back schools and local authorities in using these powers to tackle problem absentees and bad behaviour, they rightly make parents take responsibility for their children,".

This is the same minister that accused home educating parents of being potential abusers by claiming "home education could be used as a cover for abuse".

This government and its advisors seem to live in some parallel universe, they certainly don't live in the same world as me.

In the case of 'problem' families whose children are truanting regularly they should recognise that the family needs help not punishment! What do they think is the likely outcome when family relationships are breaking down and the parent is sent to jail because of the truanting of a child? Isn't this going to simply create further alienation and resentment? IT DOESN'T WORK!

They have largely destroyed any sense of community or family by imposing their position of parent of first resort and intrusively monitoring and controlling nearly every aspect of our lives.

It is the sense of 'belonging' to the community or family that needs to return, it cannot be imposed 'from the top down', it can only be cultured by giving people the freedom and respect to determine their own lives.

Yes there must be rules, but they should be the minimum necessary, fair to all, and equally applicable to all levels of society instead of the current system of different rules for the elite compared to the masses.

READ MORE at:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7868061.stm