The Children’s Commissioner talked to hundreds of children who are regularly absent from school. Children aren’t absent from school because they don’t want to learn. They are desperate to learn yet everyday thousands of children find themselves without the support that they need to engage in education. Last year, over 1 in 5 children were persistently absent, meaning they missed on average at least a day a fortnight in school. The maion drivers for this were seen to be:
- For some, the pandemic has led to disengagement. Schools and families have said that they feel like the social contract between parents and schools has been broken.
- Many children detailed their wait for specialist support such as mental health support or an Education, Health, and Care Plan.
- In some instances, children are struggling with issues in their home environment. In the Attendance Audit, the Children’s Commissioner heard from young carers who struggled to attend school regularly.
You can download the full report from The Children’s Commissioner website at the link below.
dsga.org.uk 