More than 180,000 Scots pupils missing a day of school every fortnight

The Scottish Conservatives called the figures ‘deeply alarming’

More than 180,000 pupils in Scotland missed a day of school each fortnight on average over the last academic year, figures show.

A series of information requests by the Scottish Conservatives revealed 184,845 children in primary and secondary school were absent for at least 10 per cent of the school year in 2023/24.

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The statistics, released by councils across Scotland, show another 71,852 pupils missed at least 20 per cent of the school year, which is the equivalent of a day a week.

The real number will be higher as three councils – West Lothian, Renfrewshire and Clackmannanshire – did not respond to the FOI requests.

The Scottish Government said the attendance rate across the entire country over the last year stood at 90.3 per cent, down around 3 per cent since pre-Covid levels.

Figures published by the Government in December showed 31.4 per cent of pupils in Scotland - just under a third - were absent for 10 per cent or more of the school year, which is defined as a “persistent” absence.

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This represented a small decrease compared to 2022/23 but remained substantially higher than in the period from 2010/11 to 2020/21, when it ranged between 19.1 per cent and 21.8 per cent.

Persistent absence in 2023/24 was highest in secondary, at 40.6 per cent, and lowest in primary, at 23.9 per cent.

Tory education spokesman Miles Briggs accused the Government of “being asleep at the wheel” while the “crisis” continues to grow.

He said the figures must be an “urgent wake-up call” for ministers to “do all they can” to get children back into the classroom.

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Mr Briggs said: “These figures are deeply alarming and point to a growing trend of many children simply not turning up for school. SNP ministers have been asleep at the wheel while this crisis has escalated.

“We know that the best place for pupils to learn is in the classroom but soaring numbers are now absent for at least a day every fortnight.

“That will be having a hugely detrimental impact on their progress and their wellbeing. The true figures are likely to be even higher as not all of Scotland’s councils provided figures.

“SNP ministers have failed to act as violence has spiralled out of control in our schools, meaning many pupils feel unsafe in the classroom.

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“These shocking figures must be an urgent wake-up call for SNP ministers to do everything they can to encourage pupils back into the classroom in the year ahead.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Scotland's schools, like those across the UK, are continuing to respond to a variety of challenges, post-pandemic - and we know that Covid lockdowns have affected school attendance.

“It was welcome to see some positive improvement in attendance and persistent absence levels in the most recent statistics published.

"School attendance is the responsibility of local authorities, who carry the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education in Scotland.

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“To support them, the education secretary last year commissioned further advice from Education Scotland, who have published a range of good practice support materials for schools.

“Furthermore, as part of the £1 billion Scottish attainment challenge, every local authority in Scotland has school attendance as a stretch aim - and every council in the country has identified action they are taking at school level.

“We know that many headteachers, for example, are using the Scottish Government-backed pupil equity fund, which is helping to employ additional staff to help with school attendance post-pandemic

“Finally, the Scottish Government has announced that there will be a national marketing campaign to help support improving attendance and reducing absence in the New Year.”

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