Truancy has dropped over six percent since 1999 thanks to the return of attendance officers to the school system, Education Minister told the House on Friday.

But Mr. Lister said that if attendance rates in senior school were to reach an optimum 94 percent then Government would have to give these officers more jurisdiction over students playing hookey.

?It has been five years since the reinstitution of attendance officers in our public schools and we have reason to celebrate,? Mr. Lister said in the House of Assembly on Friday. ?Attendance in the primary and middle schools has remained stable from 1999 but attendance at the senior level has risen from 85 percent in 1999, to 91 percent in 2002/2003, and to 91.7 percent in 2003/2004.?

Though the Minister considered these numbers a success, Mr. Lister said that ?there is definitely more work to be done?.

?But we are moving on an upward path as we continue to develop and consistently implement strategies in keeping with initiatives which will assist in promoting programmes where an increased number of our students will believe that their education is relevant and important to their success.?

Outlining the mission of the Education Ministry?s Attendance Section, Mr. Lister said that the officers? work was vital to intervene in truancy, which he said was ?a gateway to more serious anti-social behaviours and activities?.

Officers also work to educate parents and guardians on their accountability for student attendance. But they are also called to enforce the Education Act when necessary.

This past year, he said, the officers started putting parents on attendance contracts which cut down on their children?s truancy.

For next year the Minister said that the officers will start working in teams to ensure their safety as well as to ensure accurate data collection. Also part of the expansion of the officers? service, the Minister said, a new web-based computer system will be introduced so that from one location officers can tap into the attendance records and student demographics of a number of schools .

To further wipe out Bermuda?s truancy problems, the Minister also called for a forum to bring together the Ministry of Education and Development in an alliance with other supportive groups such as Police Resource Officers, Police Juvenile Services, Child & Family Services, and Teen Services.