Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Luke (Conservative). It was answered by Baroness Morgan of Drefelin (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 April 2010.

Schools: Truancy

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the latest truancy rate for schools in England and Wales.

Answer: My Lords, attendance rates are the highest ever recorded, with more than 70,000 more pupils in school every day than in 1996-97. Information is collected on authorised and unauthorised absence. Unauthorised absence includes unexplained or unjustified absence such as lateness, unauthorised holidays during term time and truancy. In 2008-09, the percentage of half-days missed through unauthorised absence in England in maintained primary schools was 0.64 per cent. In state-funded secondary schools it was 1.49 per cent and in specialist schools it was 2.14 per cent.

Secondary information