TAMWORTH'S crime prevention group has called in the big guns in its war on wagging.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
For more than 12 months, the crime committee's chair Russell Webb has put local truancy on the top of the agenda.
He said juvenile crime rates had been an issue in the city for some time and finding ways to get kids more thoroughly engaged in school could go some way to addressing the problem.
It was concerning to hear of truancy issues in the Tamworth region; a quality education is so important.
- Education minister Sarah Mitchell
He was able to get a meeting with the NSW education minister, Sarah Mitchell, during her recent visit to the region.
A number of options have been bandied about by the crime group, including calls for more truancy officers, changes to curriculum and offering sports subsidies to encourage attendance.
Cr Webb said he had a productive meeting with the minister along with Oxley police district chief inspector Jeff Budd and senior education officials.
"This is at the forefront of a lot of people's minds," he said.
READ MORE:
"How do we manage this into the future and how do we help these students get back into the system.
"We'll wait to hear from the minster on what directions we need to take."
Cr Webb was confident Ms Mitchell would take the region's concerns back to parliament and hopefully spark some action in the near future.
He recently suggested improving access to local sport could be a way to get more kids to feel a part of the community and build support networks.
Ms Mitchell said she was committed to getting more kids excited to be in the classroom.
"It was concerning to hear of truancy issues in the Tamworth region; a quality education is so important - especially in regional areas," she said.
"I am absolutely committed to ensuring kids spend less time on the streets and more time in the classroom.
"I will be discussing potential strategies around increasing participation in regional areas, including Tamworth, with the department in the coming days."