PARENTS in many poorer countries will do almost anything to get their children a decent education.

They make huge sacrifices and even part themselves from their youngsters because of a recognition that good schooling is the key to a better way of life.

What would they make of a society where police have to go out onto the streets during term time to question adults with children and point out that it is THEIR responsibility to get their children to school to be educated?

That's what police in Darwen had to do when they stopped 26 children accompanied by their parents in a truancy purge.

And rather than getting immediate apologies from the 'grown ups' the officer in charge said: "There were a lot of feeble excuses given, such as children had a virus, when they were clearly out shopping."

If these parents are too stupid to realise their responsibilities they should be made to pay the cost of using police to chase the truants who statistics show are likely to be tomorrow's criminals.

Meanwhile we also hear today that teachers from Blackburn have gone to Chicago to see how authorities have tackled a situation where schools have became real battlegrounds.

Airport style metal detectors in classroom doorways, full time security patrols, anger management courses for youngsters and even bringing in the army to run schools are said to have transformed the city's classrooms into far safer places to learn.

Blackburn with Darwen Council emphasise that their schools are nothing like as bad and that they are looking at how problem pupils are dealt with.

Maybe, but on the day we learn six Accrington schoolchildren gave been charged with affray after a school brawl there is clearly no room for parents or teachers to be complacent.