Anger as figures show one in four kids could be regularly missing school by 2025
More than two million kids could be regularly missing school by 2025 if the number of pupils absent from classrooms continues to rise at the current rate.
Labour will highlight the stark figure during a debate on the King's Speech, warning of a "lost generation of school children" without major action. According to Labour's analysis, over 1.5million school children were classed as persistently absent from both primary and secondary shoools in the 2022-23 autumn and spring terms. It means they missed 10% of lessons or more - or four weeks' worth of schooling.
Projections by Labour claim this could reach a staggering two million kids - or one in four - by the middle of the decade if rates continue to rise. The party said the challenge facing schools is being made worse by poor access for children to mental health treatment, insecure housing, and the cost-of-living crisis.
Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "Every day of education matters to the life chances of children - that's why tackling persistent absence would be mission critical for Labour in government. The Conservatives have no plans to get to grips with the epidemic of persistent absence and the stakes couldn't be higher. We could see a lost generation of schoolchildren without firm action. Tackling that epidemic starts with start with Labour mending the broken relationship between schools, families and government.”
A Department for Education spokesman said:“Though the vast majority of children are in school and learning, we are taking action to tackle absence in school because we know the damage it can have on a child’s education, wellbeing and future life chances.
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“We are providing vital support for around 400,000 pupils through our attendance hubs, and our Attendance Action Alliance is supporting delivery of practical support to schools to further raise school attendance. We also published new guidance that places an expectation on schools to use data to identify and support at-risk pupils. This is on top of our direct work with persistently and severely absent children and their families, where trained mentors are providing tailored support to overcome barriers and support these children back into school.”
The figures came after Keir Starmer used a speech on Tuesday to criticise the PM for putting "party first, country second gimmicks" with the King's Speech. Speaking on day one of the debate on the monarch's address, Mr Starmer said victories for opposition parties in by-elections showed "without question that Britain is ready for change".
He added: "Victories that have reduced the party opposite, now nearly 14 years in power, to the desperate spectacle of claiming it offers change away from itself. Today's address shows just how ridiculous that posturing is, because what we have before us is a plan for more of the same, more sticking plasters, more division, more party first, country second gimmicks, and no repudiation of the utterly discredited idea that economic growth is something the few hand down to the many."
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