TRUANCY rates in west Wiltshire have risen despite the Government spending more money on tackling the problem.

The school truancy rate for Wiltshire has barely moved for the last seven years but latest figures show another increase.

Prosecutions of Wiltshire parents who fail in their duty to ensure their children attend school has risen dramatically from nine cases in 2002/03 to 35 during 2003/04 as the authorities take a tougher stance on the problem.

But education officers at Wiltshire County Council have defended the rise in truancy rates, saying their "robust" approach is getting to the root of the problem and the statistics do not tell the whole story.

A report from the National Audit Office has shown the truancy rate in the UK has remained at 0.7 per cent for the last seven years.

West Wiltshire has a truancy rate of 0.52 per cent, an increase on the 0.48 per cent registered last year, although the rate of authorised absences has dropped.

Sheelagh Brown, headteacher at Kingdown School, Warminster, said: "Truancy, both locally and nationally, has been on the up over the last two to three years.

"We find we are putting more effort into finding out why children don't want to stay at school.

"The most important thing is to make the parents realise how important their child's education is."

Maxine Gibson, principal education welfare officer at the county council, said progress was being made.

She said by encouraging schools to take a harsher line in authorising absences, whether for holidays or illnesses, the amount of unauthorised absences were naturally rising.

"On the face of it, it seems as though truancy has not moved but these figures encompass a wide range of children, not just hardcore truants," she said.

"The national picture is that we have made no difference at all but I have been at local regional conferences where respected speakers are saying we are running to stand still.

"We are being more pro-active and robust and trying to stop any child missing school for any reason."

She said a number of measures were being introduced to tackle the problem including working more closely with parents and in partnership with other agencies.

Cllr William Snow, the county council's cabinet member for education and youth development, said: "A lot of measures have been taken.

"The Government is keen to crack down on the problem and weapons are being put into the hands of every school to nip the problem in the bud before it gets out of hand."