Justin Tomlinson has welcomed the news that the number of pupils persistently missing school in Swindon, has fallen by a staggering 17% since 2010.
Nationally 132,500 fewer pupils are persistently missing school and in Swindon alone that number is down by 250 - a testament to the hard work of local teachers and the support provided both by central government and Swindon Borough Council
Justin Tomlinson MP said: "Missing school has a serious impact on pupils’ performance and I am delighted that thanks to the action taken by the Government and the support we have offered to schools, we have seen a fall in truancy across Swindon 17% since 2010. The Government is reintroducing rigour into our schools, ensuring high standards of discipline are maintained, the Pupil Premium is ensuring that we provide additional support for children from disadvantage backgrounds and the EBacc means that more young people are studying for the key academic subjects that will help them get a job".
Education Secretary, Michael Gove MP, said: "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".
