Headteachers warn kids miss class due to disputes between parents and schools
Some children are missing class as their parents are locked in disputes with schools, a union leader warns today.
John Camp, president of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), will say that a breakdown of the "unwritten social contract" between families and schools is fuelling the absence crisis. Long term absence rates rocketed after the Covid lockdowns, leaving schools struggling to get children back into class.
More than a fifth (21.2%) of pupils in England were "persistently absent" in the Autumn and Spring terms last year, which means they missed more than one in 10 lessons. This was more than double the number of children who skipped school during the same period in 2018/19 (10.5%), according to the Department for Education (DfE).
It comes as a survey for the union found that nearly a third (32%) of teachers and school leaders had pupils who missed class due to a parental dispute. The poll by the Teacher Tapp app of 8,411 teachers and leaders in state schools in England in January found more than half (51%) said pupils had been kept home because they were tired after an event the night before.
Nearly nine in 10 (87%) said wanting to take a holiday during term time was given as a reason, while more than three in four (76%) pointed to family events. Two thirds (66%) said pupils were absent as they were too anxious about school to attend.
Nursery apologises after child with Down's syndrome ‘treated less favourably’
In a speech at ASCL's annual conference, Mr Camp will say: "This is a hugely complex issue. But what I find alarming is those reasons which suggest absence from school may not be seen in the way it used to. And in particular, it is surprising that some children are kept at home because of a dispute with the school... This is an extreme - but apparently common - example of the fracturing of that unwritten social contract."
He will call for a "change of tone" in the national conversation about education - and criticise politicians for taking "potshots" at schools. He will say: "If politicians and commentators are constantly running down teachers and schools, and giving the impression that we can't be trusted, then they're helping to create a division.
"I don't, of course, think that this, on its own, is the reason for that fracturing of the social contract that I spoke about. But it certainly doesn't help. It creates a febrile climate. And when social media is added into the mix, things can get very nasty very quickly."
Last week, the DfE announced a package of measures as part of its drive to boost attendance after the pandemic, including increasing fines for unauthorised absences like term-time holidays.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We proudly celebrate our hard-working teachers and school leaders who have helped us create a world-class education system. Education standards have risen sharply across the country, with Ofsted ratings up from 68% to nearly 90% since 2010 - while pupils' performance is some of the best globally in international league tables.
"Good attendance is vital for such attainment, as well as for a child's wellbeing and development. Thanks to our fantastic teachers, our package of wide-ranging reforms designed to support schools to improve attendance we are already seeing rapid improvement, with 380,000 fewer children persistently absent last year alone."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
