NEWPORT primary schools have the highest percentage of persistent absentees in Wales according to Welsh government statistics.

The figures cover all Welsh local authorities and give data on all pupils of compulsory school age (five to 15-years-old) in maintained primary and secondary schools.

Despite dropping from 2.3 percent the previous year, Newport's level of persistent absenteeism for 2014/15 stands at 1.9 per cent.

The term “persistent absentee” refers to pupils who missed at least 20 percent of half-day sessions.

This means at least 76 half-day sessions for primary schools and 62 in secondary schools.

Newport has had the highest level of primary school absenteeism since 2012/13.

Caerphilly tied with Newport in 2011/12 at 3.5 per cent, but its absentee levels have since steadily fallen to 1.5 per cent.

Torfaen's have dropped to 1.5 per cent and Monmouthshire stand at 0.7 per cent in 2014/2015.

Newport secondary schools absentee levels have dropped to 5.8 per cent in 2014/15 with Denbighshire, North Wales, having Wales' highest level at 6.3 per cent.

All local authorities in Gwent have all seen primary and secondary school absentee levels fall since 2013/14 apart from Caerphilly – which rose from 5.5 to 5.8 per cent.

South East Wales as a whole has also seen a steady decrease between 2013/14 and 2014/15 with primary schools dropping from 1.9 to 1.5 per cent and secondary schools dropping from 5.7 to 5.1 per cent.

Wales-wide trends also show primary school absenteeism decreasing on the previous year – from 1.7 to 1.4 per cent –while “persistent” secondary school absence has more than halved since 2008/09.

Education minister Huw Lewis welcomed the statistics, crediting the “commitment and dedication” of pupils, parents, teachers, local authorities and “education consortia”.

He said: “We are absolutely committed to breaking the link between poverty and low attainment and regular school attendance is one of the very best ways of enabling us to achieve this.”

He added: “While these statistics are undoubtedly good news we cannot and will not be complacent.

“We will continue to do all we can to tackle absenteeism and in particular, persistent absence to help learners get the most out of their education."