Mersey schools to clamp down on unauthorised absences

Schools on Merseyside are taking action to stop pupils' unauthorised days off school, the Liverpool Daily Post has reported.

Vernon Coaker, schools minister, has said headteachers are "clamping down on term-time holidays" and will note them as unauthorised if not cleared by schools.

Figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families revealed that the majority of regions in the area have seen this type of absence increase lately.

However, persistent absenteeism is down and Ian Adain, chairman of Liverpool Schools Forum and headteacher at Broadgreen International School, believes he knows why more term-time holidays are being taken.

He says the credit crunch has led more parents to take advantage of cheap deals: "across our schools you will find increasing evidence of this being the case."

New government legislation will make parents more accountable for their children's behaviour and could lead neglectful parents to court.




Published On 30/06/2009