60,000 days lost as pupils truant

ALMOST 60,000 school days in Oldham were lost due to unauthorised absence last year, new figures have revealed.

Secondary school pupils were the worst culprits, accounting for most of the absences, with very few recorded in primary schools across the area.

The statistics include truancy, lateness and children who skip school because their parents have taken them on holiday.

The statistics for 2007-8 show 0.92 per cent of all half-day absences were unauthorised in Oldham — the equivalent of 119,947 half day sessions or 59,973 school days — up from 58,424 days (0.89 per cent) the previous school year.

Figures also show that 1,312 children across the town persistently missed school, missing about a fifth of lessons with or without permission, according to figures released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. The previous year the figure was 1,203.

Children and young people’s Minister Delyth Morgan said: “Making sure a child attends school is also down to parents not providing excuses for their child’s absence. Schools and local authorities are providing support to parents and penalising those parents who regularly flout this responsibility by using the range of measures available to them, such as parenting contracts.

“ The statistics show a decrease in persistent absence of 12.2 per cent from 2006-07 to 2007-08, which shows that our approach is the right one.”

Nationally more than 233,000 children were classed as persistent absentees.

Unauthorised absence rate rose to the highest level on record, with 1.01 per cent of half-days missed last year — up from 1 per cent in 2006-07. This means that around 63,000 children were away from class during any given school session.