The latest National Statistics on absenteeism from secondary schools in Wales.

The key points from the latest release are:

• 9.0 per cent of half-day sessions were missed through authorised and unauthorised absence, a decrease from 9.3 per cent in 2006/07.
• 1.8 per cent of half-day sessions were missed through unauthorised absence, the same as in 2006/07.
• The percentage of half-day sessions missed due to both authorised and unauthorised absence is higher in Wales than in England.
• Girls had a higher rate of overall absenteeism than boys, but both genders had the same rate of unauthorised absence.
• Nearly 7,500 pupils (4.2 per cent) had no absence from maintained secondary schools.
• Just over one fifth of pupils in maintained secondary schools accounted for more than half of the total number of absent sessions.
• Over 2,100 pupils had more than 50 per cent absence from maintained secondary schools.

Further information is available on the Statistics for Wales website.