Today's government data release on school attendance reveals that
more than four years on from school closures during the pandemic,
severe absence is back to near record levels.
The latest data, for Spring term 2024, shows that 157,038
children were severely absent from school, missing half or more
of school time. This is an increase of 12.4 per cent
compared to Spring term 2023 and 160.7 per cent higher than
before the pandemic.
The data also reveals one in five children were persistently
absent in Spring term 2024, missing ten per cent or more of
school time. This is a 5.7 per cent increase compared to Spring
term 2023 and 67.8 per cent higher than before the
pandemic.
Commenting on the new data, CSJ Programme Lead, , said:
“Four years on from the pandemic and school closures, the crisis
of kids missing school shows no sign of abating. Severe absence
is up year on year, and one in five children remain persistently
absent.
“The government's recent expansion of the attendance mentors
programme and curriculum review is welcome, as is the Education
Minister's focus on this issue. But school absence has now
become endemic with parents often thinking it is not essential
for children to attend school every day.
“Without faster and further action, like the national roll out of
attendance mentors and a parental participation strategy, we will
be picking up the pieces from this unfolding social disaster for
years to come.”
