Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire has welcomed the news that the number of pupils persistently skipping school in Staffordshire, has fallen by 33.6 per cent since 2010.
In 2009/10, 6,487 pupils were persistently absence from school, but this has fallen to 4,308 in 2012/13.
Gavin said: “The evidence shows that persistent absence for school has a serious detrimental effect on pupils’ performance and so it is great news that, thanks to this Government’s actions, truancy has dramatically reduced in South Staffordshire.
“This Government is reintroducing rigour into our schools, ensuring high standards of discipline are maintained, and our EBacc means that more young people are studying for the key academic subjects that will help them get a job.”
Education Secretary Michael Gove added: “There is no excuse for skipping school. We have taken action to reduce absence by increasing fines and encouraging schools to address the problem earlier.
“These figures show we are making progress, with 130,000 fewer pupils regularly missing school under this government.
“Alongside our measures to give teachers powers to search pupils and impose same-day detentions, this demonstrates our determination to get tough on bad behaviour.”