1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: The government warned us about truancy. Now they're following through 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: the Ministry of Education is being told by Seymour, who's 3 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:09,319 Speaker 1: the Associate Minister, prosecute parents who don't regularly send their 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: kids to school. Currently ten percent of our kids are 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: absent for fifteen days or more in a school term 6 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: and this triggers you red light and that triggers your 7 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,799 Speaker 1: possible prosecution. Andy England at Darfield School principal with me 8 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: this morning. Morning. 9 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 2: Andy, Well, Ryan, how are you yeah? 10 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: Good? Do you think this will work? 11 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 2: Well, it's interesting you're just talking about the UK. I'm 12 00:00:29,160 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 2: an evidence from the UK is that it won't. If 13 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 2: you look at England that find people there they basically 14 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 2: reported as not being very effective, whereas in Scotland, where 15 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:40,320 Speaker 2: they don't find people, they get the same or better attendance. 16 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 2: So I mean the talk about attendance is making a difference. 17 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 2: Our attendance is certainly improving if you compare to this 18 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,839 Speaker 2: year compared to the term one of last year, we've 19 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 2: got pretty substantially improved attendants And I think some of 20 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 2: the other response to the talk that's happening at a 21 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 2: national level. So I can't follow that, but absolutely. I 22 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 2: think this one's probably more about politics and not particularly 23 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 2: not particularly about education, because the research would say it's 24 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 2: not going to help. 25 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, but I actually reading between the lines, I don't 26 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: think they're actually going to end up prosecuting anyone. It's 27 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: you know, the ministry, we're not prosecute parents of students 28 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: who are absent because of chronic illness or health conditions 29 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: or disability, or who are genuinely engaging with the school. 30 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: Blah blah blah. 31 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:20,320 Speaker 2: Yeah. 32 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's more of a pr exercise. 33 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 2: Don't you me too? And maybe it's okay in that sense. 34 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: But if you look at us that we look for you, 35 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 2: we have twenty eight students who could fall into that 36 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 2: chronic attendance absence, sorry, chronic attendance category in term one 37 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 2: of this year's three percent, and of them, the vast 38 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 2: majority of them, we're into those that their parents who 39 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: are struggling, they've got health issues within the family, the 40 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: student themselves, we reckon them. I'd be struggling to prosecute anything. 41 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: Who's got the health issues the student or the parents. 42 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 2: Is the health usual is the student, and there are 43 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 2: some good measures in place for those. I mean the 44 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 2: health school facility is a brilliant so but actually, in 45 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 2: my experience, most parents want to get the students to school. 46 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: There are a few, you know, very few cases where 47 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: that's not the case. Most parents want to get the 48 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 2: students to school. They've got issues at home, complex issues, 49 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 2: and I think we want to make a really big difference. 50 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 2: We've got to take it more nuanced approach early intervention. 51 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 2: If by the time they've got to high school is 52 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 2: that entrenched in these behaviors, it's not like it to 53 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 2: changed quickly. 54 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: That's not three percent. That's interesting. Most of them sick though, 55 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 1: you reckon which which by the way, they wouldn't be called. 56 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:34,560 Speaker 1: They wouldn't be prosecuted because if you have that chronic illness, 57 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: it's not it's not applicable. So yeah, all right, Hey, Andy, 58 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,880 Speaker 1: sounds like at least all the talk is doing something 59 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: which is counterintuitive. But there we go, Andy England with 60 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,360 Speaker 1: us from the Darfield School in just the principal there 61 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: at Dartfield School. 62 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 2: Thanks Ryan. 63 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: Thanks for more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. 64 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: Listen live to news Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, 65 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 2: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.