Children bunked off almost 4.3 million days of school during the autumn term last year as the truancy rate rose, Government figures showed today. Many miss a day of school every week.

About 60,700 primary and secondary school pupils skipped classes on a typical day last autumn, the statistics suggested.

Almost 38,000 were classed as “persistent absentees” – missing a day a week – with a further 339,000 at risk of joining them.

Shropshire, which has one of the best attendance records, also saw a rise, though it was only small.

Shirehall education bosses are now investigating whether family holidays were to blame.

Janice Chaplin, Shropshire Council’s principal education welfare officer, said total attendance rates last autumn were 94.37 per cent compared to 94.47 per cent in 2007.

Autumn attendance rates in Shropshire primaries were 95.04 per cent compared to 95.42. In secondary schools the rates were down from 93.45 per cent to 93.28 per cent.

Mrs Chaplin said that overall attendance rates in Shropshire were improving.

“The trend for some years has been that absence increases in the autumn term and reduces in the spring term,” she said.

“My theory, and we are looking at it very closely, is that holidays in term time could be a factor.”

No-one was available for comment from Telford & Wrekin Council.

The statistics, from the Department for Children, Schools and Families, showed a leap in the overall absence rate for primary and secondary schools, up to 6.42 per cent from 6.26 per cent for the autumn term of 2007.

By Dave Morris