EXCLUSIVE

EDUCATION chiefs in Scotland's truancy capital are urging the Government to consider cutting welfare benefits to children who are persistently absent from school.

It is one of a number of suggestions contained in a consultation leaflet produced by Glasgow City Council which is being sent to thousands of parents, schools and other interested organisations such as the police and social work departments.

They include expelling persistent truants, rewarding the school with the city's best attendance record with cash or equipment, and issuing out-of-school passes to children who have a legitimate reason for not attending classes. Police would have the power to detain children not carrying a pass.

The leaflet, entitled Attend to succeed - Absence means failure, asks: ''Should the education department, and perhaps even national government, consider setting attendance thresholds which must be achieved prior to awarding grants or bursaries or other child-related benefits?''

Payments made to parents in Scotland include child benefit, bursaries for senior secondary pupils and clothing and footwear allowances.

The idea was welcomed by teaching unions but the Scottish Low Pay Unit said it would penalise those already under considerable financial strain.

Glasgow has the country's worst truancy rate and Victoria Drive Secondary has the country's worst record for unauthorised absences.

Scottish Education Minister Brian Wilson has claimed that poverty is no excuse for truancy and he has pledged to cut rates. Attendance levels are included in performance targets being issued to schools and in the National Record of Achievement scheme.

Welfare payments are linked to attendance in France and parts of the US and now the UK Government is being urged to think the unthinkable.

Council education director Ken Corsar accepted the move would require a ''culture change'' in attitudes.

He insisted the document was not making recommendations but rather asking a series of questions aimed at stimulating a national debate on the issue.

He said: ''We are interested in knowing whether the Government intends following the example of other countries where awards in respect of children have conditions attached to them.

''We are throwing down the gauntlet to the Government. If we are looking at a national drive what would be your contribution to that?

''Locally we are quite prepared to look at our limited discretionary areas and to take a hard line.

''It's a challenge to central Government to do some thinking about the issue even if they come back and say these type of measures would be penalising the wrong type of youngsters and it would only make the attendance of children from poorer families worse by withdrawing whatever support they have.

''But at least we are trying to open up the debate. We are trying to raise the public profile of attendance and to get a strong debate going. We do agree that attendance is critical to achievement''

Mr David Eaglesham, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, said: ''This would bring us into line with other European countries where education is seen as a privilege as well as a right and not something to be abused.''

Mr Peter Hunter, assistant director of the Scottish Low Pay Unit, said: ''Childrens' lack of attendance may be linked to other factors such as family break-up and stress.

''This doesn't strike me as the fairest or most effective way of dealing with the problem.''