EDUCATION chiefs have received a £2 million boost to tackle truancy and bad behaviour in Bolton's schools.

The funding will provide extra support to help the worst schools to deal with disruptive pupils as well as introducing a range of measures to tackle the root causes of truancy and unruly behaviour.

Bolton education bosses have already earmarked £250,000 to improve the Connections Service, a multi-agency careers advice scheme for young people aged 13-19.

Extra mentors will be provided for the initiative, which has developed out of the former Youth Service and targets the most disadvantaged pupils at schools and colleges across Bolton. The Local Education Authority is keen to develop preventative work to tackle truancy and will be pumping more money into a website created last November called notschool.com.

The on-line curriculum website has been designed to keep children who are off school sick or have been excluded from school in touch with what is going on and up-to-date with their studies.

More counsellors and educational psychologists will be brought in to schools in a bid to help youngsters with their difficulties instead of simply trying to keep them in school without tackling the root of the problem. Three secondary schools in the town, which have not yet been decided, and their feeder primaries, will be singled out for extra help in stamping out truancy.

The primary school teachers will be consulted to find out who are the most vulnerable pupils and those most likely to start skipping classes after joining secondary school.

Bolton's Director of Education, Margaret Blenkinsop, said: "We are very interested in preventative work as it is hard to regain the interest of children once they've been excluded.

"There's an impetus for family support schemes as dysfunctional children often come from dysfunctional families. We are delighted with this money. It will make a real difference in Bolton."