Tagging the truants

16.06.10: A MINISTERIAL furore has broken out after plans were announced to electronically tag children who are absent from school for more than five days without a medical certificate.

The education and enterprise minister, Denise O'Callaghan, has defended the measure on the ground that previous efforts to reduce truancy have met with limited success.

"Radical action has to be taken if we are to ensure that all children receive a sound education," O'Callaghan said.

"There is also strong evidence to suggest that crime figures in our cities will be dramatically reduced if this simple system is adopted."

The education minister rejected suggestions of unjustifiable social control and went on to say that the government would like to extend the plan to include all school children in order to ensure their safety.

Parents who fail to implement a tagging order will be subject to prosecution. PF