Jane Hutt, Wales's education minister, also announced 6m in funding for electronic attendance packages for schools so they can chase up pupils who fail to turn up.
Last week, Hutt released new figures showing that the number of half days missed due to unauthorised absences had increased to 1.7 per cent from 1.6 per cent the previous year.
However, total authorised and unauthorised absences fell from 9.5 per cent of half days in 2002/03 to 9.4 per cent in 2003/04.
Hutt said progress was being made but admitted the attendance levels in Welsh schools were "not high enough".
- www.wales.gov.uk/keypubstatisticsforwales.
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