A MAJOR new campaign has been launched in West Devon, in an effort to make the area a truant-free zone.
The initiative has been worked up between the police, the education welfare service, schools and local businesses.
New stickers have been produced and education welfare officers (EWOs) Jane Lake and Debbie Provan, along with police youth affairs officer Keith Bowden, have been visiting shopkeepers in Tavistock and Okehampton, asking them to display them in their windows.
The traders will also be asked not to serve children who appear to be of school age within school hours ? and to let the EWOs know if they are on the premises.
Chambers of commerce in the two towns have already been informed of the new campaign and members of the public are asked to contact the education welfare service if they have concerns regarding youngsters out of school.
Debbie Provan, who is based at Tavistock College, said: ?Truancy is not a significant problem in West Devon. But we are taking this action now, to ensure that it does not become a problem.
?We are asking for the help and co-operation of traders and the public, particularly at this busy time with the run-up to Christmas.
?My concern is that youngsters who are out of school could be at risk ? and they are definitely missing out on their education.?
PC Bowden said the response from shopkeepers had been generally positive.
?At the end of the day they have a business to run and they are happy to sell things to children, but they don?t want them stealing and we are aware that children do get into shoplifting and it?s done when they are truanting.
?We want children in school, getting an education and to be safe. We want to keep the situation in West Devon as it is now, not like in the big cities, and we are working with businesses to keep it that way.?
Any information gained during the coming weeks will be used to target truancy patrols appropriately in the Tavistock and Okehampton areas.
The campaign forms part of a county council drive to reduce authorised and unauthorised absences from school. This time last year, major truancy sweeps were carried out in Devon and Torbay.
The county?s deputy principal EWO, Juliet Hammacott, said one of the most disturbing issues to arise from the operation was the high proportion of young people out with their parents, many of them shopping and many said to be ill.
Mrs Hammacott said: ?EWOs and police officers are parents themselves and we known the pressures and strains of modern life.
?However, if a child is ill enough to be home from school, then they should be at home. If they are well enough to be out shopping, they are well enough to be at school.?
Phil Norrey, Devon?s director of education, said: ?If children are not in school then we cannot teach them and they cannot pass exams and improve their chances of having a fulfilling life.
?We are working very hard in partnership with our schools to improve attendance ? and for that, we need the co-operation of parents.?
RIGHT: PC Keith Bowden launches the truancy campaign in Tavistock.
Picture by James Bird