TRUANCY in Hampshire's secondary schools has jumped, according to latest figures. Thousands of pupils skipped school between September last year and the end of May - despite wide-ranging measures designed to get youngsters into the classroom. Schools challenge parents about pupils' absence, education welfare workers work closely with families where children regularly skip school and, if they persist, parents can be hit where it hurts - in the pocket - with the introduction of new penalty notices last December. The figures, published by the Department for Education and Skills, show that unauthorised absences in the county's secondary schools rose from 1.06 per cent in 2003/04 to 1.24 per cent this year. Of a possible 21,913 school sessions, the county's 72,508 secondary school pupils missed 1,637. An average of 14 half days were missed during the year because of truancy. In contrast, the number of primary school age truants fell slightly from 0.30 per cent last year to 0.29 per cent this year. Of a possible 26,499 school sessions, pupils missed 1,311. Around seven half days were missed through skipping school. Overall truancy stood at 0.72 per cent in Hampshire's schools. Nationally, unauthorised absences in secondary schools rose from 1.13 per cent last year to 1.25 per cent this year. In primary schools it rose slightly from 0.41 per cent to 0.43 per cent. David Kirk, the county councillor responsible for education, said he was pleased that the number of unauthorised absences in the county was below the national average. "Hampshire schools work hard to ensure that pupils attend school and that any problems are addressed quickly so that parents are aware and to avoid bad habits starting," he said. "Schools try to ensure that parents contact them if there are legitimate reasons for a child being absent. All absence from school should be authorised by the school and any absence that is not is classified as unauthorised. "Hampshire County Council supports schools in rigorously challenging parents about pupils' absence from school in order to help improve the levels of attendance in both primary and secondary schools."
