A ‘SKIVING is not cool’ campaign should be launched to address low school attendance in the Borders, a councillor has suggested.

At a meeting of Scottish Borders Council’s Education Sub-Committee on Tuesday, members were informed that an attendance rate of 90 per cent – missing 19 days a year of school – is the equivalent of missing one school day every two weeks.

When averaging 90 per cent attendance over the course of their education career, by the time a young person has reached S3, they will have missed the equivalent of an entire year of school.

Research shows that low attendance can lead to lower academic attainment and achievement, difficulty maintaining friendships and relationships and becoming socially withdrawn, with an increased risk of becoming involved in anti-social or offending behaviour.

Councillor Sandy Scott described such a scenario as “horrific” and suggested a campaign could be launched to address the issue.

He said: “Could kids not have a competition saying ‘skiving is not cool’ or ‘truancy is not cool’.

“Could we have a competition to highlight this because it’s not right that they miss out on a whole year?”

Members were told that Hawick High School had launched a house competition, with the attendance level of each house displayed prominently in the hallway, aimed at generating a team spirit.

Councillor Fay Sinclair said: “I’m nervous about that sort of thing because in rewarding good attendance you have got to be very careful not to disadvantage people who are off through no fault of their own, through illness or something like that. It’s always a difficult balance.”

Committee members agreed to endorse a new attendance policy in schools to ensure pupils get the most out of their education.

Overall school attendance in Borders for the academic session 2022/23 was 91.5 per cent, which is above the national average of 90.2 per cent and places the region eighth out of 32 Scottish local authorities.

The revision of the attendance policy was undertaken by a working group with representation from key stakeholders, including primary and secondary school leadership, home-school link workers, school attendance officers, educational psychology, inclusion and well-being, pastoral staff, and business support.

A crucial component of the revision was a consultation with children, young people, and families to gather their views and ideas on what helps with school attendance.

The consultation involved 247 participants across 18 schools, with representation from those who struggle with attendance.

The policy aims to support schools to build an “inclusive and nurturing environment that encourages children and young people to attend school willingly”.