ABSENTEEISM among secondary school pupils in Torfaen fell for the third year in a row during 2012/13.

New figures from the Welsh Government reveal that the percentage of school sessions missed due to all forms of absence from school among 11-16 year-olds in the county borough was 7.5 per cent last year.

Three years ago (2009/10) the rate was 9.5 per cent, the equal second highest absenteeism rate in Wales.

But last year, nine other council areas had higher absenteeism rates. Torfaen's rate was the second lowest in Gwent, behind Monmouthshire, and just 0.1 per cent above the Welsh average.

Unauthorised absences, or truancy, among 11-16 year-olds in Torfaen has also fallen during the past four years, from three per cent in 2009/10, which was the worst rate among Wales' 22 local authority areas, to one per cent in 2012/13, which was better than 11 other councils.

Again, the truancy rate for Torfaen was the second lowest in Gwent, behind only Monmouthshire (0.5 per cent).

The reductions in Torfaen mirror a general and longer term trend across Wales. Since reaching a peak in 2005/06, overall absence has been decreasing each year. Unauthorised absences have been decreasing on an all-Wales basis since 2007/08.

Across Wales, the proportion of pupils absent for 20.5 days or more fell from 16.3 per cent in 2011/12 to 14.4 per cent in 2012/13. The percentage of pupils with no absence increased to 5.8 per cent.

Historically, girls have had a higher rate of overall absence than boys and this continues to be the case in 2012/13, however the gap has been narrowing since 2008/09.