1280 children held in six-month truancy drive

The Ministry of Education apprehended 1,280 truant children, 31 of whom never attended school, from campaigns hosted from February to July this year.

The ministry conducted 174 campaigns over the said period when welfare officers apprehended the 724 boys and 448 girls, a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release said. It has since integrated the children into the education system and they are currently participating in the literacy programme.

GINA said some of the children had suffered neglect and were victims of poor parenting and poverty. The parents were formally warned about their neglect and 48 were taken to court. They were also urged to send their children to school. The Education Act stipulates that if a parent fails to educate a child by withholding same from school, that parent can be put before the court, GINA said.

The ministry has also implemented strategies drafted at a one-day forum it held on ‘Promoting safe, acceptable behaviours and positive values in schools’ to tackle truancy. Over the school holiday the ministry will be conducting home visits and referrals would be issued to assist parents to obtain birth certificates so that their children can attend school from September.

The ministry also plans to intensify its truancy campaign from the new school year and would be visiting areas that have not yet been checked. In addition, the administration is providing uniforms for 200,000 school children, from nursery to secondary school countrywide. Feeding programmes have also been established to ensure that children are provided with a balanced meal.