LONDON mayor Ken Livingstone may have declared his city a nuclear-free zone, but the south-east London borough of Lewisham has set itself an even tougher task.

“This is a truancy-free zone,” declare the stickers in shop windows. Shopkeepers have details of school uniforms and a hotline to call if they spot anything untoward.

Parents walking along the streets have been brought up short by advertisements (see right) on the backs of buses.

“If your child is not in school you could be fined pound;2,500,” they declare. “Andor given a three-month prison sentence.” “Allowing your child to fail could land you in jail,” is the catchy refrain.

The measures are part of an anti-truancy campaign that has finally begun to improve the inner-London borough’s poor record on attendance. And this week the council heard that it will get pound;2 million from the pound;66m anti-truancy fund announced last month by Education Secretary Estelle Morris. A quarter of the money will go towards activities for young people during the summer holidays.

Last year, Lewisham topped the national league for truancy in its 12 secondary schools. Pupils missed 3.5 per cent of half-day sessions without permission, against a national average of 1.1. On any day that meant nearly 400 of the borough’s 11,270 secondary pupils were skipping school.

This year, truancy is down from 3.5 to 2.5 per cent of half days missed and authorised absence is down too - from 8.1 to 5.8 per cent.

“We are determined to crack this problem,” says Christine Grice, assistant director of education.

The borough has also won extra money for electronic registration at all secondary schools. And its Sure Start programme is educating parents about the importance of school attendance, even when children are very young.

Education officials and social care and health officers work together to take out parenting orders - which include courses in managing children - where they would help.

Lewisham has plans to provide anger management training for pupils who are starting to develop a pattern of truancy, and in the hard cases it will prosecute.

It has taken 66 cases to court so far this academic year. Fines are usually between pound;50 and pound;100.

Briefing, 30, and Friday

WAYS TO KEEP THEM THERE

Electronic registration

Nearly one in four English state secondaries now has electronic registration. Most use the Bromcom Computers system, where the teacher has a digital computer to take the register at the start of class. Information is sent by radio to PC in school office. It costs pound;30,000-plus for a 1,000-pupil secondary. Alternative is swipe card. Pupils carry identity card and swipe it as they enter building or classroom.

Contacting parents

Department for Education and Skills guidance says all schools should contact parents on the first day a pupil is absent without explanation. “Home call” services may send text messages to parents’ mobile phones asking them to telephone the school.

Truancy sweeps

Regular truancy sweeps of shopping malls carried out by police and education welfare officers.