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TRUANCY CRACKDOWN HITS POCKETS
Monday, 25 August, 2008RELATED CONTENT
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Should parents' welfare payments be cut if their kids consistently skip school? The federal government will withhold welfare payments from the families of children who consistently skip school in a bid to combat skyrocketing truancy rates.
COMMENTS
First [1] LastPut already financially stressed families under maximum financial overload? Create potentialy volatile and unsafe situations for children and their teachers? Punish truants by withholding money for basic needs like food and shelter? Create massive division between parents that have jobs and those that don't? Ignore the real reasons why children don't want to be at school? Good one ALP! Sounds like a bloody disaster!!! Your party is so out of touch to even contemplate such a dumb idea. I thought we got rid of fascism when John Howard got the boot. Human rights for everyone! GO THE GREENS!!
Could we also have wealthy parent's incomes cut if their kids don't attend school too?
What i don't understand is the rationality behind punishing kids for wagging by suspending them for a number of days! It's win-win! what's more, instead of punishing the parents should not more time be spent trying to determine WHY students are wagging?
Here is the government that cares about the 'little kiddies' that is wanting to enforce a cut in payments that will create more poverty for the same children. It is a bit like international sanctions against countries that affect the people and not the governments that they are supposed to target. I think there are other ways to deal with this problem and it is only a a vote grabbing populist response. Dole bludger crack downs are always popular in mainstream talk back (radio) Australia.
It is good to see that parents are forced to see that they have a personal responsibility to their kids and will be held finacially accountable for this. Also, the kids will see that their personal actions have an impact and meaning to there families, which will increase their sence of personal responsibilty and asteem.
Idiotic. clearly the problem is with the schools/education system. If its relevant, interesting and worthwhile you won't be able to stop them attending. Trying to force people to learn is arrogant and idiotic.
No! they should not have the payment cut. They need to implement programs and support for these people to encourage them to go to school it should be a pleasant experience for them.
I think it is great that the government is focusing so much on the importance of education, but don't agree with the policy to cut welfare if parents can't prevent their kids from wagging school. Welfare is there because the people need it, right? Isn't there something fundamentally wrong with withholding something that people actually need? Again, I am fully in support of encouraging parents and children about the importance of education, but it should not be achieved through withholding money that is necessary for day to day existence (food, medicine, shoes and bills). It is a parent's responsibility to make sure their children go to school. If they are not able to achieve this simple task, then it is probably time for agencies involved in child-welfare to look into the case. With this in mind, the government should provide more funds to agencies responsible for overseeing the safety and well-being of children at home.
Why must society always assume that the lives of the poor ad disadvantaged will be made better if they are treated more harshly?? And where is the overwhelming evidence that children parents on welfare are truanting in such numbers as to warrant this MEAN broad brush approach that will o doubt see all families of welfare recipients having to bear the burden of proof in this situation? It feels like the bad old days of Howard all over again. A littl more information in you news report please. Sincerely, Disgusted.