The Australian Government will introduce new laws apparently designed to bring a halt to truancy. The proposal will see welfare payments to the parents/carers of children who regularly miss large amounts of time at school , slashed or stopped for a period of 13 weeks.
This legislation will be hard to police. Granted there are far too many parents who don't do enough to ensure their children attend school but then there are those who tear their hair out as kids often wag school without parental knowledge and yet no matter how hard they try, are powerless to stop it. Each case no doubt will be dealt with on its own merits and exceptions are going to be made. Truancy occurs not only in families where the parents are receiving welfare but working families as well. Stopping welfare payments may spur parents into action but what measures are going to be put in place for children whose parents are NOT on welfare? Education is vital for all children regardless of social class or status yet if these laws are to be applied then how do you effectively apply them to families where no welfare is paid. I think it is a good idea that parents who don't give a dam will have a rude wake up call and be forced to finally get their own act together. It is no surprise that kids who don't attend school on a regular basis will be lacking in skills when it is time to join the workforce. The easiest option is to go on the dole and there again we add to another welfare dependant generation. Is this the kind of society we want where generation after generation live off government cheques or do we collectively take a stand and say no more and get active and become involved in keeping your child/ren in school.
