pounds 200m bid to cut truancy
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Tony Blair tomorrow unveils his "big idea" of bringing the excluded back into society, starting with pounds 200m of lottery money to combat school truancy, writes Paul Routledge.
A Social Exclusion Unit, chaired by the Prime Minister, begins work immediately on measures to improve life for an estimated five million affected by crime, unemployment, ignorance and bad housing.
Launching the initiative at a London school, Mr Blair will say: "We are passionately committed to making Britain one nation, giving every single person a stake in the future and tackling chronic poverty and social division."
The 12-person unit is to report to Mr Blair by Easter on measures to reduce "dropping out" by school students. One in 10 pupils admits to playing truant at least one day a week in the vital GCSE exam year.
There is also a link with crime: 42 per cent of school-age offenders sentenced by youth courts have been expelled.
The pounds 200m will be spent on after-school clubs to motivate youngsters. By 2001, half of secondary schools and a quarter of primary schools will have clubs.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments