Holidays during term time are causing some concern

But the figures suggest attendance rates in secondary schools climbed to their highest level since the 1990s.

Education Minister Peter Peacock said parents had a crucial role in ensuring their children attended school.

Travel firms are being urged to lower their prices during school holidays to discourage parents from taking their children out of class during term.

Holiday concerns

Primary school absence rates rose slightly in 2002 to 5.1% - an increase on the previous year.

Mr Peacock said the Scottish Executive was committed to reducing absenteeism.

He said. "Unauthorised absences, including truancy, are very low, at an average of 0.8% of the total.

Despite this declining trend, we want to see both reduced further Peter Peacock Education Minister

"Despite this declining trend, we want to see both reduced further.

"Ceasing to take children out of school for holidays during term time, unless completely unavoidable, is just one way parents can help."

In secondary schools the average absence totalled 41 half-days over the year, with East Renfrewshire the lowest at 23 half-days and Glasgow the highest at 54.

In primary schools, the average absence per pupil totalled 19 half-days over the school year.

East Renfrewshire had the lowest at 14 half-days and Glasgow the highest at 27.

Authorised absences accounted for 9.32%, and unauthorised absences for 1.43%.

'Horrendous amounts'

Unauthorised absences include truancy, pupils temporarily excluded from school, and family holidays in the case of youngsters who otherwise have a poor attendance record.

On average, some 52,000 youngsters were absent from local authority schools in Scotland on any day last year, a fall of 1,000 on the year before.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) said it was concerned that some parents took their children on holiday during term time.

The Rev Ewan Aitken, Cosla education spokesman, said: "I would also like to take the opportunity to challenge travel companies who overcharge by horrendous amounts during the school holiday period, which is one of the reasons parents remove children during term-time.

"It is something that we need to see action on at Scottish Executive level."