CEPNZ Supports Rotorua Truant-Free Zone
It was with great pleasure that the managers of the CEPNZ (Character Education Programme of New Zealand) read about the
recent initiative of a “Truant-Free Zone” in Rotorua being established through local Police and retailers.
Since the release of the ‘Truancy Resource Pack’ by the CEPNZ in January 2004, over 300 schools nationwide (five in
Rotorua) have either purchased or gained access to use our online truant reporting system and associated anti-truancy
resources.
The ‘Truancy Resource Pack’ was produced with community cooperation and social responsibility at its heart. Although we
stress that it is the foremost responsibility of the parent to ensure that their child goes to school and the student’s
personal responsibility to be there on time, our system provides schools and the community with methods to reduce
unauthorised non-attendance.
One of these methods is through our retailer signs that state: “We will not serve anyone under 16 during school hours
without an authorised permission slip from school - Please do not be offended when we ask you to produce this authorised
permission slip” with a distinctive “no truant” symbol. These are designed to be distributed to shops with an
information sheet to assist the retailer in its use and how to report potential truants to attendance/truancy officers
by phone or through our online truant reporting system.
The authorised permission slips are also supplied to schools on our Truancy Resource Pack.
These posters and information sheets are available from your local CEPNZ Truancy Resources registered school – a
donation to your school for this would not be unwelomed to cover duplication costs.
We encourage all business communities, local councils and associated agencies to follow the example of Rotorua and
establish closer relationships with their schools in a combined effort to reduce juvenile crime and ensure children are
where they are supposed to be – at school during school hours.
Help our schools to help your children.