Truancy rate soars to record
CLASSROOM truancy hit record levels last year, fuelled by a big rise in absences from primary schools.
More than 233,000 children were classed as “persistent absentees” in 2007-8, missing at least one day a week.
Also 18,600 sessions were missed every day in primary schools, compared with 17,300 the previous year. Overall, 63,000 half-days were lost in unauthorised absences in 2007-8, a rate of 1.01 per cent against one per cent in the year before.
Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove said: “The Government has spent £1billion on stopping truancy but the problem has increased over the last few years.”
Liberal Democrat spokesman David Laws added: “The truancy rate has rocketed under this Government.”
Ministers said that an overall drop in absences – including those for illness – showed that their strategy was working.
But more children were absent because of family holidays.
Christine Blower, of the National Union of Teachers, said: “This is a problem for schools. For many parents on a low income, the hike in holiday costs during official school breaks presents a challenge.”
