However, nearly all the primary pupils also said their parents would not approve if they skipped school. Secondary teachers also thought that some parents kept children off school to help with home-related tasks such as shopping. However, most often secondary teachers believed truants missed school to avoid subjects they disliked or found difficult. Truants in secondary schools said they truanted because they were bored with school, and would rather be earning money at work. Some of the 'good attenders' said that if subjects were more interesting and more choice was available they thought the truanting pupils would be more likely to attend.
Unexplained absence is taken to indicate unauthorised absence.
The study involved a sample of seven secondary schools and seven associated primary schools in two education authorities. Information was gathered from teachers, pupils and parents, and from records for school attendance and Standard Grade exam results. While the findings are not strictly generalisable, the composition of the sample makes it reasonable to suppose that many findings will apply in other schools. The Scottish Council for Research in Education is an independent national body, founded in 1928 to support policy-making and good practice in education through the conduct and communication of research.