Insight for Sunday 14 June 2009
Picture:Constable Lania Day and Renelda Kawau who chase up truants in Hamilton
In the most recent survey of truancy just over four percent of this country's school children bunk off school each week.
For those 30-thousand students the problem ranges from the occasional day off, to a small number of hard-core, recidivist truants.
The Principal Youth Court Judge, Andrew Becroft, says truancy plays a significant part in youth offending and that conservatively 80 percent of young people who come before the Youth Court are either truants or not enrolled in any school.
Insight goes out with truancy officers and talks to those working in education to find out more about what needs to be done.