Education welfare officers making sweeps of the streets around Telford schools this week, looking for youngsters bunking off lessons.
It is part of a new crackdown on borough truancy being run during Telford & Wrekin Council’s School Attendance Week.
Efforts are particularly concentrating on “condoned truancy” where parents allow youngsters to stay off school for spurious reasons, such as family holidays or birthdays.
Action includes “truancy sweeps” around town to catch youngsters bunking off lessons, and checks on school gates to round up late arrivals.
And there will also be prizes for the schools which get top marks for boosting their attendance record.
School Attendance Week aims to combat all types of truancy. But it is particularly concentrating on “condoned truancy.”
Officials will record the percentage improvement in attendance figures at each school from the week of November 10 to 14 to the week of December 8 to 12.
The week also sees initiatives called “late gates” and “truancy sweeps”.
Late gates will see school gates manned to round up late arrivals and truancy sweeps will involve educational welfare officers checking the surrounding streets to prevent children from skipping lessons.
Councillor Stephen Burrell, lead member for children and young people, said:
“Attendance figures across the borough have improved greatly and our primary school attendances are above the national average.
“But we know that the situation can always be improved on and are making a concerted effort to impress upon both parents and pupils that every day matters and every lesson counts.
“Parents need to demonstrate that they are 100 per cent behind their child’s education and be aware that it’s not good enough to give them the day off for their birthday or family holiday.
“We would encourage people to contact us about children who they are aware of that are missing their education and we would emphasise that school is the safest place for a child.”
Schools with the biggest percentage attendance improvement will receive boxes of goodies and games.