School truants wag 21,520 days

THE number of times children are skipping school has shot up across Oldham, government figures have revealed.

The equivalent of 21,520 days were missed in Oldham’s primary and secondary schools through truancy, or unauthorised family holidays during the spring term January to March — compared with 15,427 days the same time the previous year, according to the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

Across England, children skipped almost 3.9 million days of school up from 2.8 million the spring term in 2008. It is believed rising numbers of pupils are missing lessons because of family holidays taken during term time without the school’s approval.

However, Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said the statistics showed a national drop in the percentage of family holidays that were approved during school time.

Mr Coaker said: “Schools are listening to our calls to query dubious reasons given by parents for absence, and allow fewer children to miss school for holidays.

“Our message is getting across to schools and parents that every lesson counts for children. We will continue to do all we can to support efforts to drive absence down still further.”

But Liberal Democrat schools spokesman David Laws said the figures were a disgrace and that the Government’s truancy strategies were not working.