Browse Sections

• Education
• Roadworks
• Shipman
• Special reports

Truancy levels down

15/ 8/2008

SCHOOL absences in Tameside this year have dropped to a level in line with the national average.

Figures released by the government, covering the academic year from September 2007 to June 2008, show that overall authorised and unauthorised absence rates for Tameside, across primary, secondary and other schools, were just over six per cent.

One per cent of lessons – more than 151,000 – were missed because of truancy.

It is an improvement on last year when 6.9 per cent of lessons were missed, making Tameside the third worst for missed lessons in Greater Manchester.

And Tameside Council claims they are ahead of the pack in tackling persistent absence.

A council spokesman said: “Overall absence in Tameside’s primary and secondary schools for spring term 2008 was 6.25 per cent, only 0.01 per cent below the English national average. The total absence for primary schools for this period is 5.2 per cent and total for maintained secondary schools is 7.35 per cent.

“By Easter this year, Tameside had reduced its persistent absence in its priority schools by 39 per cent. The national average was 26 per cent, therefore Tameside is 50 per cent better than national average.

“Tameside Council will continue to address those pupils who hit the persistent absentee criteria in order to try and improve educational outcomes for everyone.”

The figures were for the spring term of this year up to the Easter holidays.