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22/05/2014
Pupils Absence Rate Falls
New figures show pupil absence during the autumn term is at its lowest level for at least 8 years with a sharp drop in children regularly missing school.
Today's figures compare the autumn term of 2013 with the same period for previous years back to 2006, when records began.
They show that absence from school has plummeted as the government's policies to deal with absence have started to take effect. The figures show:
• the overall absence rate in the autumn term fell from 5.2% in 2012 to 4.3% in 2013. The overall absence rate was stable at around 6% between 2006 and 2010 but has since fallen significantly
• the number of school days lost to absence in the autumn term fell by 4.5 million over the last year. Between 2006 and 2010, the number of days lost remained little changed at around 26 million, but since then it has fallen to 18.2 million
• the number of pupils who missed around 15% of school in the autumn term fell by 118,000 in one year. Missing 15% of school is the government’s definition of ‘persistent absence’ and is equivalent to missing 18 months of a whole school career. The number of pupils on course to miss at least 15% of school over the whole year has fallen by 44% since 2010 - from 494,000 to 278,000
Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: "Parents want to know that schools are tough on bad behaviour and that includes cracking down on absence.
"By increasing fines and encouraging schools to address the problem earlier, huge progress is being made. These figures suggest the number of children on course to be persistently absent has fallen by 44% since 2010."
(CVS/CD)
Today's figures compare the autumn term of 2013 with the same period for previous years back to 2006, when records began.
They show that absence from school has plummeted as the government's policies to deal with absence have started to take effect. The figures show:
• the overall absence rate in the autumn term fell from 5.2% in 2012 to 4.3% in 2013. The overall absence rate was stable at around 6% between 2006 and 2010 but has since fallen significantly
• the number of school days lost to absence in the autumn term fell by 4.5 million over the last year. Between 2006 and 2010, the number of days lost remained little changed at around 26 million, but since then it has fallen to 18.2 million
• the number of pupils who missed around 15% of school in the autumn term fell by 118,000 in one year. Missing 15% of school is the government’s definition of ‘persistent absence’ and is equivalent to missing 18 months of a whole school career. The number of pupils on course to miss at least 15% of school over the whole year has fallen by 44% since 2010 - from 494,000 to 278,000
Education Minister Elizabeth Truss said: "Parents want to know that schools are tough on bad behaviour and that includes cracking down on absence.
"By increasing fines and encouraging schools to address the problem earlier, huge progress is being made. These figures suggest the number of children on course to be persistently absent has fallen by 44% since 2010."
(CVS/CD)
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