HOW sad that the authorities have had to resort to court action to prosecute the parents of children in North Devon who are consistently truanting.

The

Journal

fully supports the idea that, very regrettably, court action might be the only remedy left when all other approaches to persistent absenteeism from school have been explored.

But at the same time we do so with a heavy heart because, frankly, by the time such cases reach the courts system the damage has already been done and we wonder, in reality, whether it changes anything where the children affected are concerned.

If parents cannot get across to their children the necessary benefits of regular attendance at school then we have reached a sorry state of affairs and it is extremely unfortunate that the numbers of such cases have doubled in the past year.