Truants 'working on vines'

Truancy is soaring in Marlborough as teens skip class to earn money working in vineyards, youth agencies say.

The region has the second-highest truancy rate in the country, behind Gisborne. Some say it is being fuelled by high school students ditching school to earn hundreds of dollars a week at the multitude of local vineyards that serve Marlborough's prized wine industry.

"School is never exciting, and if there is a shortcut to being in class, people are going to take it," said Marlborough youth worker Bob Blake.

But Marlborough Winegrowers Association executive officer Gerald Hope said yesterday that truants working in vineyards was "news to us".

Contractors often hired vineyard workers, but Mr Hope said he would be surprised if winegrowers recruited truants. About 3000 workers are needed to prune Marlborough's 30 million vines.

Dr Blake said most of the 65 to 85 troubled and mentally ill teens he dealt with through his Horizons centre each year had been aboard the buses that ferried people to the vineyards to work.

The average weekly wage was about $400 and teenagers often used money they earned to pay court fines or buy alcohol, cigarettes or drugs.

Department of Labour principal labour inspector Muriel Kelly said her staff had not found any children working in vineyards during school hours.

"Children are sometimes employed during school holidays and weekends, which is entirely acceptable."