By Gavin Mackintosh-
The recent report released by the Commons Education Committee has raised concerns over a substantial increase in absenteeism among English schoolchildren, with approximately a fifth of pupils now deemed “persistently absent” from school.
This figure, representing 22.5% of pupils, is approximately double the rate recorded before the pandemic.
The report also reveals that around 1.7% of children are now considered “severely absent” from school, a notable increase from the pre-pandemic rate of 1%. Overall absentee rates in England have climbed to 7.6%, up from the 4-5% range observed before the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to the Commons Education Committee, a pupil is classified as a persistent absentee when they miss 10% or more of their schooling and as a severely persistent absentee if they miss 50% or more.
The report comes in the wake of concerns raised by Action For Children, which identified school anxiety or school phobia as a leading cause of pupils missing school.
Researchers say some of the anxiety keeping pupils away from school includes low self esteem, fears of bullying, academic pressure in some schools which some pupils associate with their low performance, and other factors.
An article provided by the charity that offers advice to parents dealing with this issue was accessed more than 57,000 times in the year leading up to March.
Joe Lane, Head of Policy and Research at Action For Children, emphasizes the impact of high levels of school absence, stating, “High levels of absence from school in England is a huge problem for the children missing school and their families.
As well as providing an education, schools can support children to develop emotionally and socially, promote their well-being, and help keep them safe. Ultimately, that helps them to grow up to be thriving adults, better able to contribute to society and the economy.”
Action For Children is calling on the government to follow through on plans to introduce family hubs, urging the inclusion of attendance mentors as a core component of new family help services.
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza voiced support for the charity’s recommendations, emphasizing the importance of early support for children who require additional assistance.
Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, highlighted the need for collective efforts to address the issue. He explained that a decade of cuts had reduced the resources available for schools to tackle absenteeism effectively.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education responded to the report, stating, “The vast majority of children are in school and learning, with recent data showing there were 380,000 fewer children persistently not in school last year. We are taking action to increase attendance because it is vital for a child’s education, well-being, and future life chances.”
The Department for Education has expanded its attendance hubs, now supporting over 400,000 pupils across 14 hubs, and provided a toolkit for schools to improve communication with parents on this issue.
Their mentoring program, delivered by Barnardo’s, involves trained mentors working directly with 1,665 persistently and severely absent children and their families to understand and overcome the barriers to attendance and support their return to school.
The report from the Commons Education Committee and the concerns raised by Action For Children underscore the urgent need to address absenteeism among schoolchildren, ensuring their access to education and promoting their well-being.