My drama teacher couldn't control the class. I never learnt anything so there didn't seem any point in going," says Sean, 15, approaching his GCSEs at a boys school in north London. Sarah, 17, who routinely misses free periods, morning assemblies or whole days at an independent girls school in north-west London, says, I take the day off to finish essays. Truanting isn't something I do for fun. Often we get lots of essays at the same time. The only way to get them done to a high enough standard is to take an extra day."
| I take the day off to finish essays. Truanting isn’t something I do for fun. |
"I don't want to go to school because my teachers give me a hard time, says Imran, 15, who truants from a state secondary in London's East End seven or eight times a term. They tell me to do something and I do the opposite to wind them up. They're getting their own back."
Ruth, 17, coming up to A-levels at a school in south London, skips occasional days: "It's usually when I cant face going to school or I've had enough and go home early"
So do young people think the Government's new proposals for improving attendance will work for all offenders? "Giving police greater powers is very good. There will be a fear of being taken back, a fear of what people or your school will say," says Sean. "The last time I truanted, a police car pulled up and I had to run all the way down the road to get away. I was so scared of getting caught that I decided to talk to my teacher about the problem."
However, Sean doesnt think the move will necessarily change the attitudes of the most disaffected truants. "My friends did it to get an adrenaline rush."
Imran agrees: "Although I don't care about truanting, I do care about getting caught. But some people don't give a damn. And he indicates the wile police have to tackle: I stay indoors so it would be unlikely that the police would see me bunking off. One time I was seen by the police, I got a dentist card and wrote down an appointment. I put down a time that was in 10 minutes and it was 20 minutes from the dentist so I said I was late.
Feelings about putting more pressure on parents are similarly mixed. "It's good for some parents because they don't really care whether you go to school or not," explains Sean. "They might care if they could be prosecuted. This would make me less likely to truant because I would be scared about what my mum would say."
If Ive decided to take the day off, I get up at the normal time and tell my mum I'm ill, adds Sarah. It usually works if I have a sore throat and a headache. If not, Ill say I've got stomach cramps. She also believes there are wider issues the crackdown doesn't take account of. "My mum will write a letter but, to be honest, I think she knows why I do it. I think she believes letting me decide is part of growing up. Ultimately, I still want to do well and will catch up the work. One teacher told me the school accepts truanting now we're in sixth form, though
the school says it has a 100-per-cent attendance record.
Teachers should take more consideration of how pupils feel, concludes Imran. "If they don't like school, teachers need to know how they can make it better." Meanwhile, his advice to pupils who are tempted to truant - "Don't do it" - suggests teachers may have more success if they encourage pupils to listen to one another.
About the team
All names have been changed. These interviews were conducted by editors Senab Adekunle, 15, and Rachel Bulford, 17, with reporter Koiya Donovan, 12. They were published in The Guardian.
