Head of the Association of School Principals Livingston Tuzo said this after a meeting between education officials and head teachers over the issue this week.

The meeting was called as a result of principals and the Education Department's concern about student absenteeism.

Chief Education Officer Joseph Christopher last week revealed to The Royal Gazette that the Education Department had not been receiving "reliable'' truancy statistics for the last couple of years.

This, he explained, was partially due to problems with the link-up between schools and the main computer system set up to collect data.

But Dr. Christopher also admitted that schools had "become very lax'' in recording reasons for absenteeism.

That issue, non-attendance by students -- which included those who were truant and those who were suspended -- and the possibility of reviving the truancy officer post were raised at a meeting on Thursday with principals.

And on Friday Mr. Tuzo said: "It was good to revisit the whole issue of truancy.

"Most of us were fully clear about the reporting of absenteeism. In most instances it was a lot to do with the (computer) machines breaking down.'' Mr. Tuzo said no promises were made by education officials.