Government plans to cut down on the numberof truants in school seem to be going away. Headteachers may have warned pupils that if theyskived off to demonstrate against George Bush’s visittotheUKtheywouldbe suspended, but stil lthere were plenty of kids on the march. But our favourite truancy story hasto bethe tale of NorthTyneside education officers and pollce sent outto scour shopping centres and bus stops lookingfor truants,onlytofindoutthatmanyof the schools in the area were actually shut that day. A spokesman for North TynesideCouncil admitted: “Unfortunately, on this occasion something went slightly astray.