MPs have demanded ministers produce a plan of action to cut truancy rates.

The Commons education select committee said in that the failure to tackle the problem was a "matter of great concern".

Unauthorised absence in England showed no change last year with nearly 50,000 children playing truant from school every day."Put simply, if pupils are not in school, their learning is unlikely to progress," the MPs said in their latest report on the work of education inspectors Ofsted on Wednesday.

"That the strategies put into place to address this issue have had relatively little impact is a matter of great concern and we therefore ask the government to set out its action plan for improving attendance in future years."

The report also questioned the consistency of Ofsted inspectors in applying the term "satisfactory" to schools.

Committee members said that pupils and parents needed more clarity as to what the term meant in practice.

Ofsted's criteria for the use of the description had changed in recent years, the MPs felt.

"We remain concerned that the apparent interpretation of the term satisfactory has shifted and caused confusion and concern among parents and teachers," the report concluded.

"It must be understood that that satisfactory performance represents work that is adequate in all respects in the context in which it takes place."

And more work is needed in establishing Ofsted in its new role as an inspector of pre-school education and childcare, the committee found.

They warned that parents could "lose faith" in nurseries unless they start being told when complaints have been made against carers.

Currently inspectors cannot publicise investigations unless there is an "overriding public interest" in doing so.

But the committee said the law should be changed if necessary to give parents more transparency in choosing childcare provision.

"While we acknowledge the legal constraint. we remain concerned that parents who are denied access to this important information about their childcare provider, may, for understandable reasons, lose faith in both their providers and the system of inspection.

"If a change in the law is required, it should be brought forward as soon as possible."

Ofsted said it was already working on the problem.

"Ofsted is working with the Department for Education and Skills to address the situation where providers do not need to give such information," a spokesman said.

"We expect new proposals will be out for consultation in the autumn."

The government agreed that parents should be secure in their choices

"It is important that parents can have confidence in their childcare arrangements," a DfES spokeswoman said.

"Ofsted has recently initiated a procedure for voluntary disclosure of information about complaints against childcare providers."