The Scottish government is to publish daily updates on attendance in local authority schools, including absences connected in some way to Covid-19.

Today’s first update, for Friday 21 August, shows there were 10,665 pupils absent either for all or part of the school day because of “Covid-19-related reasons”.

The overall attendance rate - across primary, secondary and special schools - was 91.8 per cent. The absence rate for Covid-19-related reasons was 1.5 per cent, and for other reasons it was 6.7 per cent.

Coronavirus: How many pupils are off school?

On Wednesday 19 August, education secretary John Swinney said that 94.8 per cent of pupils attended school in Scotland on the Monday of that week, the day before the deadline for a full return of schools.

The annual school attendance rate for 2018-19, according to Scottish government figures, was 93 per cent.

A Scottish government statement advised that the new information “has not been subjected to the rigorous quality assurance processes that would normally be undertaken” before publication of official or national statistics.

The information was “drawn directly from information held on school systems” and is “subject to revisions”, as figures “may subsequently be updated by schools”.

Scottish schools started returning from the summer break and the preceding coronavirus lockdown on Tuesday 11 August, with a deadline for a full return of pupils of Tuesday 18 August.

Concerns have been raised over schools where staff and pupils have tested positive for Covid-19, and there has also been intense debate over issues such as face coverings - with the Scottish government announcing a change in policy today.