Parents have been warned it’s their responsibility to ensure their children attend school after 42 children were found in the city centre when they should have been in lessons.
Police Officers teamed up with Swansea Council Education Welfare Officers to patrol the city centre to locate those who are absent from school.
During the operation, which was conducted on Monday 16th November, a total of 53 children of school age were discovered off school.
Officers found 11 had good reason as they were in the city legitimately because their schools were closed for an inset day. However 18 youngsters from Swansea schools and 24 from schools out of the county were there when they should have been in class.
All of the children were found with a parent. Their names will now be referred to schools and their education welfare officers to consider what action should be taken.
City centre policing sergeant Michelle Stewart said
“Pupils who are absent from school may be vulnerable and are losing educational opportunities.
“There is evidence to suggest that while truanting from school, children either commit crime or are victims of crime. There is also evidence that there is anti-social behaviour taking place by those truanting.”
The youngsters and their parents were stopped were spoken to in the city centre by the education welfare officers to ascertain why they were absent from school.
Sergeant Stewart added:
“This joint operation was conducted to target those who are truanting and we will continue to hold similar initiatives in the future.”
Cllr Jen Raynor, Swansea Council Cabinet member for Education, said:
“Truancy prevents young people from achieving their full potential but it can also make them vulnerable to crime. That’s why South Wales Police is so supportive of the work that we conduct to reduce truancy.
“We are particularly concerned by the fact that these absences appear to be authorised/condoned by parents.
“The message to parents is that they need to take responsibility in ensuring their children attend school every day they possibly can so that their child can be kept safe, get the most out of school, and achieve their full potential.”
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle
