Judge speaks to lawmakers about truancy
September 10, 2012 ·
Children across West Virginia appear doomed to fail because their parents appear unwilling or unable to make sure they attend school.
Circuit Judge Alan
Moats is an expert on truancy in the state.
Moats told lawmakers
on Monday that half the students in his circuit covering Barbour and Taylor
counties were absent at least 10 days during the 2009-2010 school year.
The judge said
parents often admit they choose not to get out of bed to help see their
children off to school in the morning.
He said these parents
also frequently were truants or dropped out themselves. They've become bitter
toward the school system, and that influences their children.
Moats also said truancy
feeds the dropout rate, which increasingly harms the state's economy.