School absence is now endemic

• Severe absence is up 12 per cent year from last year, and 160 per cent up from pre-pandemic levels
• One in five children remain persistently absent

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, Beth Prescott, 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.”