FIFE Council education chiefs say they have "halted a decline" in school attendances but are sill working to see improvements.

Councillors have previously called the Kingdom’s school attendance trends “alarming” and “worrying” however members of the local authority's education scrutiny committee were told this week that the decline has “levelled off”, but not improved, so far this year. 

Last August, a report revealed school attendance for 2022-23 was worse than before the pandemic, and as of March, primary attendance in Fife was at 92.1 per cent, making the sector 1.1 per cent below national average in absolute terms.

Fife’s secondary attendance was at 85.6 per cent – also about one per cent below the national average. 

The council has long recognised the importance of student attendance, and it has been a key target for the current school year.

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That’s why it has been striving to reach an 88.8 per cent overall attendance target to match attendance levels in similar areas of Scotland by the end of the current school year. 

Councillor Altany Craik (Labour for  Glenrothes West and Kinglassie) highlighted that this goal is aiming for kids to be in school about nine out of ten days. 

“We know attendance is a problem for everyone, but how are we doing towards this target? It says we’re trying to get there by the end of the current school year so where are we now?” he asked. 

Stuart Booker, an education quality improvement officer, told the committee that attendance rates have “levelled off” but not improved – despite Fife’s 88.8 per cent targets. 

“It has been a long term sustained decline, and the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t help that,” he said. 

“Last school year, we saw a levelling off of secondary attendance and an increase in primary attendance.” 

He continued: “This year, the current figures, we’re matching what we achieved last year in terms of attendance. That’s not improving yet, but it’s halting that decline.” 

Mr Booker said Fife is continuing to look at attendance data and trying to improve the systems and supports that are in place for students to keep improving that picture. 

Donald MacLeod, executive director of education services, said: “The thing that will actually attract young people into school is a rich, vibrant curriculum offer that is well delivered in an engaging fashion that youngsters want to pitch up to and engage with and embrace.”

Mr MacLeod added that the council is doing everything it can to break patterns and look at how schools work with parents to get children back in school, saying it was all about “rehumanising education”. 

A more detailed attendance update report is due to come back to the education scrutiny committee in March 2025.