THE number of children registered for home-schooling has more than trebled to almost 700 in just five years.

THE body in charge of school attendance has said it only takes criminal proceedings against parents as a last resort after a mother-of-five was jailed for a month for failing to make her son go to classes.

THERE were 13 convictions against parents relating to truant children in the first five months of this year, one of which ended in a custodial sentence, according to the National Education Welfare Board (NEWB).

BULLYING, help for special needs children and advice on what to do with a child who refuses to go to school were the main concerns of parents using a new education helpline.

Education Correspondent Niall Murray spent a day with an Educational Welfare Officer and found there is more to poor school attendance than children playing truant.

TEACHERS have appealed to the Government to provide funding for more officers to tackle poor attendance by school children.