Programme aims to keep children at school

A PROGRAMME is being drafted with the aim of keeping children in school and their parents out of the courts.

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) said work had begun on a plan with other agencies aimed at “attendance, participation and retention” of children at school until the completion of second level.

Under a new integration plan the NEWB — which monitors attendance and issues summonses against parents if their children fail to attend — and other bodies such as the School Completion Programme and home school liaison officers will work together to ensure that greater numbers of children stay in the school system.