Truants to get pager call

Plans to use satellite technology in a bid to beat truancy were announced by a switched-on comprehensive school yesterday.

Parents of youngsters who show signs of becoming persistent classroom dodgers will be issued with electronic pagers by Wellfield School at Wingate, near Easington, Co Durham.

If children fail to answer the register or miss a class, teachers will flash a message to their mother or father requesting a call to the school.

Dr Joyce Jordan, the Head teacher, said: "The pagers will be particularly useful ... where the parent is concerned that there is a gap between their supervision and ours."

Ten pagers will be used in the pilot scheme.