HC Deb 19 September 2002 vol 390 cc99-100W
Mr. Gibb

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average absentee rate was for schools in(a) 2000 and (b) 2001.[70012]

Stephen Twigg

The average absentee rate for schools in England was 6.8 per cent. in 2000 and 7.2 per cent. in 2001. These figures represent the percentage of half days missed due to both authorised and unauthorised absences in schools. These figures relate to absences in schools between September and May in each of the relevant years.