Children ‘hit by lack of resources’

CHILDREN outside cities and major towns are receiving reduced levels of service from school attendance officers because of a shortage of Government resources, the head of the service has warned.

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) has staff in six cities and 12 towns but only provides emergency services to schools outside those areas.

Although schools are obliged to report to the board when a child misses 20 days, educational welfare officers (EWOs) in the urban areas are aware when children are approaching that figure.