Pupils in England missed 11.5 million school days

express.co.uk

Pupils in the UK missed 11.5 million days of school last year, according to a recent study. The number of students absent from classrooms has significantly increased. This ongoing crisis is linked to rising truancy and a growing number of children excluded from school. The study by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) highlights a 10 percent rise in missed school days from the autumn terms of 2022/23 to 2023/24. Additionally, the rate of school exclusions has jumped by more than one-third over the past year. Many families are also choosing to home-school their children, increasing by over 20 percent during the same period. Concerns have been raised about schools encouraging parents to keep struggling students at home, a practice known as "off-rolling." This can improve a school's performance metrics but can harm students' education. Efua Poku-Amanfo from IPPR stated that many children are now unaccounted for, creating a risk of failing those who need education the most. Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, noted that lost learning is particularly affecting children living in poverty. The report calls for new legislation to track when a child leaves school to ensure they are receiving an adequate education. In response, the Department for Education has introduced the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. This new legislation will establish a “Children Not in School” register in every local authority in England. The goal is to help local authorities identify and support children not enrolled in school.


With a significance score of 2, this news ranks in the top 49% of today's 18442 analyzed articles.

Get summaries of news with significance over 5.5 (usually ~10 stories per week). Read by 9000 minimalists.


More on this topic:

    [3.4]
    Mandatory sex education proposed for 18-year-olds' safety (standard.co.uk)
    2h
    [3.1]
    School exclusions linked to increased crime risk in England (news.yahoo.com)
    6h
    [2.4]
    Japan schools struggle to assess non-attending students (japantimes.co.jp)
    1d 16h
    [2.4]
    Chronic absenteeism remains high in South Carolina schools (postandcourier.com)
    11h
    [2.4]
    Labour plans to limit student numbers at successful academies (thesun.co.uk)
    1d 21h
    [2.3]
    Parents choose homeschooling for twice-exceptional children's needs (news.yahoo.com)
    1d 2h
    [2.0]
    Pupils in England missed 11.5 million school days (express.co.uk)
    16h
    [2.0]
    Teacher struggles include student behavior and parental complaints (news.yahoo.com)
    12h
    [2.0]
    618 Windsor-Essex students suspended for incomplete vaccinations (cbc.ca)
    1d 2h