School attendance heads downward
Dunblane is the only centre that has improved
“This is certainly no party political issue – we all want to see Stirling’s children getting the best possible start in life.
“I know that there are many complex reasons why some children and young people miss school. For their sake I would urge the Administration at the council to make this issue one of their top priorities. School attendance is an issue that calls for specific practical action, including use of attendance officers.”
Children and young people convener Councillor Susan McGill, however, said the figures were just one measurement of school performance - and said the Tories themselves were partly to blame.
At the meeting, children and young people convener Councillor Susan McGill told Councillor Berrill said: “There’s always room for improvement. This is just one of several indicators to measure performances in schools. It measures up against national figures.
“Each year in schools there are different children that react to things in different ways. This is a snapshot of one measure of schools.
“Attendance at schools is a multi-faceted phenomenon. There is a decline over the last four years, however there has also been a decline in society over that time not least because of measures introduced by the UK Government and the austerity agenda so there’s lots of reasons for a decline in attendance in schools and need to realise the cause and effects of the policies that are taking place.”