Children are being auditioned at school for Britain ’ s Got Talent to stop them bunking off lessons , it has been revealed . Teachers say that youngsters have been playing truant as they attempt to find instant stardom on the ITV talent show . As a result , for the first time producers have held auditions at dozens of secondary schools and colleges around the UK for the new series . Scroll down for video . Brace yourselves : Britain 's Got Talent judges Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon strike glamorous poses . The move has helped reduce unauthorised absence levels in some schools on the days of auditions . Teacher Angela Butler said Britain ’ s Got Talent spent two hours at her school – Newtown High School , in Powys , mid-Wales – and a local sixth-form college in November . Around 30 Newtown High School pupils aged 11 to 18 sang and played instruments for producers during preliminary auditions after getting permission from their parents . Mrs Butler , a head of year , described similar on-site auditions across the region as a preventative measure to stop youngsters skipping school . Speaking at the NASUWT union ’ s annual conference in Cardiff , she attacked the shocking truancy levels in the city caused by auditions for talent shows . The Britain 's Got Talent judges and presenters are seen on stage before the start of the 2015 series . The 52-year-old said the day for auditions was ‘ the day throughout Wales when most kids are absent ’ . She added : ‘ I think that is an absolute travesty , that kids think that is the way that they ’ re going to have a route out of poverty and not education. ’ Simon Cowell has defended allowing young children to take part in Britain ’ s Got Talent , despite fears by child welfare campaigners that many of them are too young to cope with fame . The music mogul says the ITV show – which has no lower age limit – provides opportunities to those who might not otherwise have them . Cowell , 55 , who has a 14-month-old son , Eric , with partner Lauren Silverman , said : ‘ Every kid who comes on our show is there because the child wants to be on our show and we make sure we look after them . ‘ As for whether it ’ s the right thing having someone so young singing on the show – they may not have the opportunities in life other people have. ’ Speaking afterwards , Mrs Butler told how Britain ’ s Got Talent had changed how it auditions to stop pupils ‘ coming down to Cardiff ’ on school days . She said : ‘ For a couple of years we had absences . It must have been a problem throughout Wales because this time , for the auditions that have happened for Britain ’ s Got Talent , they actually sent people into schools . ‘ When the producers from the programme came to our school , they said they were going all around schools to prevent exactly this [ truancy ] . 'They spent two hours in our school and they must have seen 30 kids , perhaps more than that . Then they moved onto a sixth form college in the same town. ’ But she also bemoaned how children now seem to think fame is the only way to succeed : ‘ Children now think The Voice or Britain ’ s Got Talent or The X Factor or winning the lottery – that ’ s how they ’ re going to get on and have the things that they see celebrities doing . I do think that kids want this quick fix. ’ Britain ’ s Got Talent – and its judging panel Simon Cowell , David Walliams , Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon – is returning on Saturday for its ninth series , with ITV chiefs expecting bumper audience ratings . A source from the show said : ‘ Last year was the first time we ’ d ever gone to schools . We did go to schools all around the country . ‘ We are the one of the few talent shows that allow kids to enter , so the logical extension of that was going to schools to allow kids to audition as easily as possible. ’ BGT – and its judging panel Simon Cowell , David Walliams , Amanda Holden ( pictured ) and Alesha Dixon – is returning on Saturday for its ninth series , with ITV chiefs expecting bumper audience ratings .
ITV 's Britain 's Got Talent is returning on Saturday for its first series . Teacher 's say kids have bunked off school in the past to attend auditions . So for ninth time ever producers are holding auditions at dozens of schools . Move has helped reduce unauthorised absence levels in several schools .