pmt
27-01-10, 11:35 PM
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1190432_now_bob_geldofs_making_truancy_history
Yakub Qureshi
January 27, 2010
He's battled world poverty and famine and used his persuasive powers on world leaders.
Now Sir Bob Geldof has set himself a new challenge – solving Manchester’s appalling truancy problem.
The organiser of the Live Aid concerts is heading a scheme to supply anti-truancy phone systems to the city’s schools.
Texts, emails and voice messages will automatically be sent to parents if their children fail to attend lessons.
Sir Bob, who is the co-owner of the telecoms firm Groupcall, launched the system at the City of Manchester Stadium before an audience of teachers.
And, true to form, his 20-minute talk was passionate, erudite – and contained the odd swear word.
He said the service has been used in 2,000 schools around the country – with an average 15 per cent improvement in attendance.
Manchester is the first major council to sign a deal with the firm.
The £85,000 deal, paid for by a government grant, means the technology can be used in all the city’s 175 primary and secondary schools for the next year, although individual headteachers will decide whether to sign up.
A number of schools have been trialling the system, which also notifies parents about school closures or other important news. Although his involvement is a business deal, Sir Bob, 58, insisted that he was not motivated by profit.
He told the M.E.N.: “I don’t give a c**p if we don’t make anything out of it. I just like being part of something excellent. We can’t afford for children to miss out on education.
“It will hold feckless parents to account because schools will be able to say we’ve got evidence that we called and texted you about your child’s absence.”
The former Boomtown Rat had three daughters with his late former wife Paula Yates and also adopted Tiger Lily, the daughter Paula had with the late INXS star Michael Hutchence.
Geldof said that the attendance record in Manchester – which sees more than 10pc of classroom time lost – was ‘grotesque’.
Yakub Qureshi
January 27, 2010
He's battled world poverty and famine and used his persuasive powers on world leaders.
Now Sir Bob Geldof has set himself a new challenge – solving Manchester’s appalling truancy problem.
The organiser of the Live Aid concerts is heading a scheme to supply anti-truancy phone systems to the city’s schools.
Texts, emails and voice messages will automatically be sent to parents if their children fail to attend lessons.
Sir Bob, who is the co-owner of the telecoms firm Groupcall, launched the system at the City of Manchester Stadium before an audience of teachers.
And, true to form, his 20-minute talk was passionate, erudite – and contained the odd swear word.
He said the service has been used in 2,000 schools around the country – with an average 15 per cent improvement in attendance.
Manchester is the first major council to sign a deal with the firm.
The £85,000 deal, paid for by a government grant, means the technology can be used in all the city’s 175 primary and secondary schools for the next year, although individual headteachers will decide whether to sign up.
A number of schools have been trialling the system, which also notifies parents about school closures or other important news. Although his involvement is a business deal, Sir Bob, 58, insisted that he was not motivated by profit.
He told the M.E.N.: “I don’t give a c**p if we don’t make anything out of it. I just like being part of something excellent. We can’t afford for children to miss out on education.
“It will hold feckless parents to account because schools will be able to say we’ve got evidence that we called and texted you about your child’s absence.”
The former Boomtown Rat had three daughters with his late former wife Paula Yates and also adopted Tiger Lily, the daughter Paula had with the late INXS star Michael Hutchence.
Geldof said that the attendance record in Manchester – which sees more than 10pc of classroom time lost – was ‘grotesque’.