Opinion: Debate - Is the Government's policy to tackle truancy failing?

YES - Debbie Cowley, director of practice and development, Parenting Education and Support Forum

It's clear that the punitive approach is not having the effect that the Government claimed it would. Parents do care about children's education. Rather than being forced to conform we need to look hard at why truancy is happening and ways of working with children. The first woman to be imprisoned under the truancy policy had considerable problems. If there's a hardcore of children truanting from school, we need to find out why.

YES - Julie Fuller, volunteer mentor

I dealt with one young person who was in a children's home and often didn't go to school because of the problems she had. She was failed by the school because they just let her be. Classrooms are overcrowded and teachers are overburdened with paperwork so they don't have time to give individual pupils the attention they need. Children have to believe going to school is worth their while. There is also too much emphasis on testing and a lot of young people are put off by that.