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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Truancy rate 'highest since 1997' | Truancy rate 'highest since 1997' |
| (9 minutes later) | |
| Truancy rates in England's schools have risen to their highest since 1997, the latest figures show. | Truancy rates in England's schools have risen to their highest since 1997, the latest figures show. |
| An estimated 63,000 pupils truanted every day, equating to 1% of all school sessions missed without a valid reason. | An estimated 63,000 pupils truanted every day, equating to 1% of all school sessions missed without a valid reason. |
| This is also a rise of a quarter, or 0.21 of a percentage point, on comparable figures from last year which were 0.79%. | This is also a rise of a quarter, or 0.21 of a percentage point, on comparable figures from last year which were 0.79%. |
| The government has written to local authorities urging them to keep up the pressure on persistent absenteeism. | The government has written to local authorities urging them to keep up the pressure on persistent absenteeism. |
| 'More to do' | 'More to do' |
| Between 2004 and 2007 over 30,000 penalty notices were issued to parents because of their childâs high level of unauthorised absence. | Between 2004 and 2007 over 30,000 penalty notices were issued to parents because of their childâs high level of unauthorised absence. |
| And more than 19,000 parenting contracts were agreed to improve attendance, ministers said. | And more than 19,000 parenting contracts were agreed to improve attendance, ministers said. |
| Children's minister Kevin Brennan said overall absence, including children off sick with permission, was at a record low. It fell overall from 6.68% to 6.49% between 2006 and 2007. | |
| "Weâre on course to meet our 2008 target of reducing absence by 8 % compared to 2002/3 figures," said Mr Brennan. | "Weâre on course to meet our 2008 target of reducing absence by 8 % compared to 2002/3 figures," said Mr Brennan. |
| "But working with schools and local authorities we need to do much more. While we have cut the amount of persistent absence - from 7.1 % to 6.7 % - in the last year it is still the major challenge we must tackle. | "But working with schools and local authorities we need to do much more. While we have cut the amount of persistent absence - from 7.1 % to 6.7 % - in the last year it is still the major challenge we must tackle. |
| Holidays | Holidays |
| "About 7% of pupils account for a third of all absence in secondary schools but the evidence shows that targeting is working, with 436 schools with the biggest share of persistent absence having reduced it by almost 20 per cent in a year," he added. | "About 7% of pupils account for a third of all absence in secondary schools but the evidence shows that targeting is working, with 436 schools with the biggest share of persistent absence having reduced it by almost 20 per cent in a year," he added. |
| For the first time this year, more details of why pupils are absent are contained in the figures. | For the first time this year, more details of why pupils are absent are contained in the figures. |
| Within the overall absence rate of 6.49%, just under half - 3.47% - of days were due to illness. | Within the overall absence rate of 6.49%, just under half - 3.47% - of days were due to illness. |
| The second most commonly reported reason was family holidays - which includes those agreed and not agreed. | The second most commonly reported reason was family holidays - which includes those agreed and not agreed. |
| Absence for family holidays accounted for 0.7% of the days and equates to 6.8 million school days. | Absence for family holidays accounted for 0.7% of the days and equates to 6.8 million school days. |
| However, about 90% of these were authorised by the school in question. | However, about 90% of these were authorised by the school in question. |