This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Attendance and motivation link
03/12/2003
Greater curriculum flexibility can help motivate pupils
who miss school to make the most of valuable learning
opportunities at school, improving their long-term life and
career prospects, Education Minister Peter Peacock said
today.
The Minister was commenting after the publication of a
statistical bulletin showing an overall declining trend in
absence in schools.
Latest figures show that:
- The total percentage absence from secondary schools
in 2002/3 was 10.75 per cent, down from 11.08 the
previous year and the lowest rate since 1995/6. This
includes a decrease in authorised absence from 9.57 to
9.32 per cent and a decrease in unauthorised absence
from 1.51 to 1.43 per cent.
- The total percentage absence for primary schools in
2002/3 was 5.12 per cent, a marginal change on the
previous year (0.05#) and lower than most earlier
years.
Mr Peacock said:
"Today's figures highlight a gradual and declining trend
in absence from school and show that unauthorised absences
- including truancy - are very low at an average of 0.8 per
cent of the total. Despite this declining trend, we want to
see both reduced further. Missing school for any reason can
have long term consequences. Missing class today can have a
high price tomorrow.
"We are working hard to ensure that schools are a place
where pupils want to be and learn by tackling one of the
key causes of poor attendance - pupil disaffection. We want
to ensure pupils are offered more flexible learning and
development opportunities so their education experience is
more relevant to their needs.
"As part of this, we are undertaking a major review of
the curriculum from age three to 18 and a review of the
links between schools and colleges to help give older
pupils broader curriculum choices.
"However, the Executive alone cannot tackle unauthorised
or authorised school absence. It is important that parents
- who have a duty to ensure their child receives an
education - work with schools to address all forms of non
attendance. Ceasing to take children out of school for
holidays during term time, unless completely unavoidable,
is just one way parents can help."
The Executive is currently funding a number of
initiatives aimed at, or impacting on, school attendance
and absence, for example: the Scottish Schools Ethos
Network - which shares good practice in promoting a
positive ethos in schools; the Anti-Bullying Network -
based around sharing good practice and providing advice in
dealing with issues of bullying in schools; Support for
Parents - an Excellence Fund programme which supports
measures to encourage parents to become involved in their
children's education; Study Support - an Excellence Fund
programme aimed at making available out-of-school hours
learning opportunities; and the New Community Schools
Excellence Fund special programme which has twin aims of
promoting social inclusion and raising education
standards.
These are in addition to many innovative approaches to
tackle non-attendance which have been developed by
individual schools and education authorities.
Section 30 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 states
that it is ultimately the duty of parents to ensure they
provide appropriate education for their school age
children, either by sending them to school or other means.
Once a child is registered and begins attending school, the
parents must also ensure he/she attends regularly. As a
last resort, parents who fail to comply with the Act may
face a fine and/or prison sentence.