by the start of the next academic year, according to a Government Senator.

But an Opposition Senator claimed yesterday that the officers will be totally ineffective if they are not backed up by parents taking an interest in their children's education.

During yesterday's debate on the Education Budget, Sen. Patrice Parris (PLP) said a job description has already been developed and the officers will be introduced in the autumn.

"They will work closely with school principals and parents to ensure the attendance of students,'' Sen. Parris said.

Although Sen. Parris was unable to say how many attendance officers will be made available, she said $150,000 had been allocated in the Budget.

But Senate Opposition Leader Maxwell Burgess insisted that unless parents began disciplining their children, the scheme would be a waste of money.

And he mocked Senator Parris's claim that parents should play a role in disciplining their offspring.

"It's no small wonder public education hasn't been as successful as we would want it to be,'' he said.

"The difference between this side and that side is that we talk about a need for discipline and the good Senator said that parents ought to have a role in discipline and we believe that parents have a responsibility.

"The day we can get children disciplined, teachers can spend their time teaching.

"We must assume more and more roles as parents in the raising of our children and there's a whittling away of the responsibilities of parenthood.'' Sen. Burgess suggested truancy officers should be given the same rights as bailiffs, with the power to issue a fine to the parents of errant children.

"Let's just see how many times little Max doesn't come to school after that,'' he said.