Although they are procedurally bound to supply reports on absenteeism of more than three days in any particular month, Church and independent schools are not adhering to this procedure, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said in Parliament yesterday.

Answering a PQ by shadow education minister Joseph Cassar, Mr Bartolo said State schools had been keeping such statistics since scholastic year 2008-9. He pointed out that the Ministry of Education would soon be launching a national policy on school attendance.

Answering Labour MP Etienne Grech, Mr Bartolo said that with effect from this scholastic year, parents are obliged to give valid reasons for each day their children were absent from school.

This was one of the measures launched this month in a bid to tackle absenteeism.

When the school management observes students are suffering from school refusal, they refer them to the Psychosocial Education Services within the particular college.

In certain cases social workers who assessed each student worked hand in hand with the Child Guidance Clinic, psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists. A lot of work was also done with parents.

Many cases resulted in plans being drawn up with students, parents, schools and members of the professions in an effort to attract students back to school.