Severe absence almost triple pre-pandemic levels Nearly a quarter of children persistently skip school
Nearly half of all children taking their GCSEs are regularly avoiding the classroom.
Shock new analysis from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has revealed that 39 per cent of Year 11 children are persistently absent during their GCSE exam term.
The CSJ warns that ignoring these high levels of absence is causing children to move straight from school into unemployment. The latest government figures, released today, show that nearly 1 in 7 young people are not in education, employment or training (Neet).
The CSJ says that, five years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, the damaging impact of school closures continues to grow.
In today’s government data for summer term 2024, 172,938 children were severely absent from school, missing half or more of their school time. This is an increase of 9.6 per cent compared to the previous record – summer term 2023 – and almost triple (187 per cent higher) pre-pandemic levels.
The CSJ’s analysis also reveals that over 1.6 million children – nearly one in four – were persistently absent in summer term 2024, missing ten per cent or more of school time.
This is a slight decrease compared to summer term 2023, but up 6.2 per cent on the previous spring term, and 78.3 per cent higher than pre-pandemic.
Unless school absence returns to pre-pandemic levels, the CSJ argue that a further 20,000 additional pupils every year are at risk of becoming Neets.
Beth Prescott, CSJ Education lead, said:
“Five years on from the Pandemic, the school absence crisis continues to rip the futures away from our children with record levels of so-called “Ghost Children”, 1 in 4 kids persistently absent, and nearly half of those doing GCSEs skipping school.
“The Secretary of State for Education is right to prioritise this crisis and the need to rebuild the partnership between home, school and the Government. We urgently need to get parents on board and support schools through the national rollout of attendance mentors.
“If the Government is to deliver growth and reduce the spiralling benefits bill, then it must get to grips with school absence which is a direct contributor to children ending up not in education, employment or training.”