MANCHESTER has again been named and shamed as the truancy capital of Britain.
And one of the city's schools has come bottom of the class with the worst attendance record in the country.
More than a quarter of pupils at North Manchester High School for Boys regularly miss lessons, new figures show.
Their release has prompted fresh calls for education bosses to crack down on stay-away pupils.
Last year, an incredible 27 per cent of students at North Manchester High missed one in every five lessons - the equivalent of two months of teaching.
In all, 17 per cent of classroom time at the school was lost through absence. Excuses included family holidays or sickness but, in many cases, students just went missing.
But Alan Chambers, who has been head of the school for two years, claimed recent initiatives - including a smart, new uniform - had seen standards improving.
He said: "We have made massive strides in the last six months. The GCSE results were the best the school has ever had. Since the start of the new school year, our attendance is up significantly because we've been talking to pupils and parents about what will make a difference."
Ofsted inspectors who visited the school two years ago said teachers did a good job and the school was `orderly and well supervised'.
Failing
But Lib Dem opposition leader Simon Ashley, who attended the former grammar school in the 80s, said education chiefs were failing to crack down on truancy.
He said: "This school used to be very well regarded. My parents had to fight to get me and my brothers accepted.
"The level of truancy is far too high. I don't want to blame teachers but we do have unacceptably-high level of absence - council leaders have taken their eye of the ball and let the issue slide."
Manchester schools continued to have the worst attendance rate in the country - with 11 per cent of lesson time wasted. The next worse were secondary schools in Hull.
Other city schools were named as truancy blackspots. Parklands School, in Wythenshawe, had the third worst attendance while Plant Hill, in Blackley, was also on the list.
Both Parklands and North Manchester are set to be changed into city academies - where they will get new buildings and receive support from private businesses.
John Edwards, deputy director of children's services in Manchester, claimed attendance was being taken `very seriously'.
He said: "Over the last nine months, North Manchester High School for Boys has put a number of extra measures in place to reduce absence including attendance panels, additional support to parents and families, direct work with individual students, and, where appropriate, the use of parenting contracts, parenting orders and prosecutions."
The Blackley school was also receiving extra cash through the £50m Greater Manchester Challenge aimed at improving local schools.
Tweet
Showing comments 1 to 16 and replies | View All
Mike S, Manchester (16/01/2009 at 09:37)
However, I've been on Market Street at lunchtime and seen police officers walk past dozens of kids who clearly should be in school, yet do nothing. If they went to the Arndale Food Court at lunchtime they'd be able to round up hundreds of them, and fine the parents for not taking the responsibility to make their kids go to school. "I've tried, but he just won't do anything I say" - That, madam, is because you're a terrible parent. Do something about it!
Mark, South Manchester (16/01/2009 at 10:20)
It's time for Leese, Bernstein & New Labour to go - and let Trafford Council take over the running of Manchester schools???
Chris Green, Chorlton-cum-Hardy (16/01/2009 at 10:56)
The culture of dependency and State intervention has reduced social mobility and is creating an underclass of people who have never worked, will never work and who bring up children who will also never work.
A “crack down on truancy”, as Cllr Simon Ashley wants will only deal with the symptoms and do nothing about the underlying cause. I don’t think nice new school uniforms will do much either.
hjk (16/01/2009 at 11:06)
they will carry on doing it.
There needs to be zero tolerance. Instead of the council threating to take action against the parents they need to do it and at an early stage.
Ace Shakespeare , manchester (16/01/2009 at 12:34)
GL, Stockport (16/01/2009 at 13:25)
MsD, Manchester (17/01/2009 at 10:07)
thaitanium (17/01/2009 at 10:48)
Another first for the Peoples Republic of Manchester highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Europe.
Highest crime rate ever and so on and now this. Well done our dear leaders you must be very proud of your record, keep up the good work.Where I live in Thailand the children start school when they are three years old start at 7AM finish at 4PM all wear uniform from day one.the girls can't have long hair, page boy style, the boys get a pudding basin cut like it or not, even the university students wear uniform,the teachers here are treated like Gods no answering back. Education is free until 8 or 9 years of age then they have to pay, not much but then again the parents don't have that much. The majority then have further education either at Universities or vocational school, a bit like the old technical schools in the UK where they learn a trade not a lot of call for "media studies". In all the time I have lived here I have never heard of kids playing hookey as they know the only way out of poverty is education. When the UK is on it's knees financially and that won't be long by what I see and the dole dries up ask them then what they feel about being uneducated? Before the bleeding hearts start on about freedom of expression I say come here or any developing country and have a look then comment as I know where I would rather live.
Ace Shakespeare , manchester (17/01/2009 at 12:13)
Youve got it in one mate "Media studies" Is the easy one that most students go for?its the usual excuse "A cop out" ..Its time to start educating our children and controlling their parents.
MsD, Manchester (17/01/2009 at 14:29)
When my son started college, the classroom where they had to register held the bookings for physics and media studies. My son was doing physics and two or three were queuing for that but there were at least 30 kids queuing for the media studies course. Thta's how it is now, a lot of them see media studies as a quick route to fame and fortune. Fewer and fewer are prepared to put the work in and in less than a generation, this country is going to be woefully short of scientists, engineers and mathematicians for example. We will be in big trouble, if we are not already.
andanotherthing, Mcr (17/01/2009 at 18:15)
thaitanium (18/01/2009 at 05:58)
Ace Shakespeare , manchester (18/01/2009 at 13:18)
This is why the british work "Ethic"Isnt working anymore our children want fame and fortune without doing the hard work,Weve become a nation of people who want to be winners on the "X factor" Its time our education system was overhauled.
andanotherthing, Mcr (18/01/2009 at 22:22)
Your list of educationalists omitted teachers and parents. Is there so little hope?
thaitanium (19/01/2009 at 14:57)
Teachers are there to teach not round up the brats who refuse to be educated. If it were down to me I would inflict sanctions on the parents who let their chidren play truant. Fine them, if they are on benefit stop it until their kids go to school. If that doesn't work lock them up and take the children into state care.
Well the softly softly approach isn't working is it?
I reckon that would have as much chance of happening as me finding feathers on a frog.
andanotherthing, Mcr (19/01/2009 at 15:49)
I agree with you. I would make the parents of habitual truants have to attend every class with their child for a full term.
This would remove the excuse of " I didn't know." It would embarrass the child and hopefully break the cycle.