Epidemic of skipping school can't continue and more must be done to combat truancy

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More than 220,000 Scottish schoolchildren are now missing classes on a regular basis.

This epidemic of truancy is no doubt due to a change in habits that came from the Covid lockdown. But the consequences could be severe. According to experts, missing just 10 days of school a year can lead to lower achievement and poorer job prospects.

School days can be long, especially for youngsters who may struggle with mental health issues. But there can be no questioning the benefit of education.

And yet every day, tens of thousands of young Scots will skip class. Some will be unwell, but others are simply choosing to stay at home and do nothing. The impact of the pandemic is still felt keenly across society. Some children fell out of the routine of attending school and have never regained it.

So it is now vital that teachers, schools and politicians work together to ensure this does not continue. It must be made plain to parents and carers that the best place for their children during term time is in school.

Our schools must provide a safe environment for children, especially those suffering from bullying or online abuse. Parents must also realise that letting attendance slide – even if there is reluctance on the part of the child – could have extremely negative consequences for them in later life.

Hiding away from the classroom is not the answer to young people’s problems. Getting our kids back to school must be a priority for every parent, teacher and politician in the land.

Protection for energy workers

Torness is Scotland’s last remaining nuclear power station and supports some 700 local workers.

For the sake of their job security – and the UK’s wider energy security – it was welcome last week to see owners EDF extend the East Lothian plant’s lifetime by two years to 2030. But what happens after that?

Nuclear power is a thorny issue in Scotland, backed by Labour at Westminster but opposed by the SNP at Holyrood. What’s crucial as we transition to net zero is that we make the most of our highly-skilled energy workers – from all sectors.

As a nation we can’t leave them on the scrapheap like our coal miners were by Margaret Thatcher’s cruel government. The fiasco at Grangemouth oil refinery could see the appalling loss of hundreds of jobs if it closes.

We need to start planning now for what happens as Torness approaches closure, so we avoid another mass jobs cull further down the line.

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