Swipe cards track Aussie students

SYDNEY - Up to one hundred Australian schools are electronically tracking students to tackle truancy.

Under the system, reported by Fairfax, students swipe a card to register their arrival at school and at classes. Rolls are checked and parents are notified automatically about any unexplained absences by computer-generated letter, email or SMS.

The swipe cards also record late arrivals and early leavers. Parents can request an instant printout of their child's attendance.

The Student Attendance Monitoring System (SAMS) Period by Period software was introduced to NSW schools this year.

Principal Rob Laidler noted a reduction in absenteeism after its introduction at his Loyola Senior High School in Mt Druitt.

- AAP