Truancy rates fall at Devon schools

DEVON schools are celebrating an increase in attendance and a drop in truancy.The latest figures for the 2007/2008 academic year show that attendance in primary and secondary schools in Devon is up.And truancy in secondary schools has been cut from 1.26 per cent to 1.12 per cent.In all schools, unauthorised absence - truancy - is down to 0.66 per cent compared to a national figure of 0.99 per cent and a regional truancy rate of 0.80 per cent. At the same time persistent absence in both primary and secondary schools has also been cut. Persistent absence is classed as when a child misses 20 per cent of school time - a day a week, for example.The level of persistent absence in secondary schools has come down from 6.3 per cent in 2006/07 to 5 per cent in the past academic year - a drop of 1.3 per cent. Devon's reduction in persistent absence is better than that achieved nationally and in the South West.Devon County Council has therefore met its Government target for reducing persistent absence in secondary schools three years ahead of schedule.