Truancy plan should give parents rewards: welfare group
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The New South Wales Association of Children's Welfare Agencies has described the Federal Government's new truancy legislation as unfair.
Under the bill, Centrelink will be given the power to freeze welfare payments for parents whose children regularly skip school.
The Association's chief executive, Andrew McCallum, says parents should be offered incentives to ensure their children are attending school, rather than punishments.
"If we're really serious about making sure that marginalised and disadvantaged people get into the education system, we have to look at incentives," he said.
"The whole basis of success in education is around making sure that we affirm people, we give them carrots, we don't give them sticks.
"We make sure that education is something that has some point to it and that people can see it's actually something that's beneficial."
