Total absences for students attending primary and secondary schools during academic year 2013/2014 amounted to 597,239 days, equivalent to an average of 13.0 absent days per student, the National Statistics Office said today.
In total, the number of absences recorded during academic year 2013/2014 decreased by 15.9 per cent when compared with the previous year. Total authorised absences decreased by 24.6 per cent and made up 54.9 per cent of total absences. Total unauthorised absences also showed a decrease of 2.2 per cent.
The average number of absences during the period under review stood at 13.0 days per student, decreasing by 2.4 per cent when compared with levels for the previous academic year. On average students recorded 7.2 days of authorised and 5.9 days of unauthorised absence in one scholastic year.
In absolute terms, male students recorded higher levels of absenteeism when compared to their female counterparts: most of these were classified as authorised. The average level of absence among males was found to be higher or equal to that of females for all levels of education.
Student absenteeism in state schools decreased by 22.4 per cent during 2013/2014. Most of these absences were unauthorised. Unauthorised absences in state schools decreased by 4.9 per cent. In contrast church and independent schools saw a drop in authorised absences and an increase in unauthorised absences.
Students of all ages recorded lower levels of absence during the scholastic year 2013/2014.
The lowest absence levels were recorded among nine year olds at 8.1 days. On the other hand 16 year olds held the highest average levels of absenteeism.
Students attending state schools located in Gozo and Comino registered the sharpest drop in their absence levels (49.9 per cent). On average, students attending state schools located in the South Harbour district accumulated the highest average number of absences (20.1 days per student), while Gozitan students recorded the lowest average number of absences with 9.8 days per student.