Text war on waggers

Schools are texting the parents of absent pupils hourly in an attempt to get truants back to school.

Manchester's secondary schools have the second-worst level of truanting in Britain. Five schools have now adopted the automated text system which was piloted at Queen Elizabeth School in Rochdale where attendance rates were boosted by 8%.

Parents are repeatedly contacted by phone, text or email until 8pm or until their child's absence is accounted for.

Manchester City Council said it is too early to assess how effective the Truancy Call system has been.