Labour’s strategy to enhance school attendance in England encompasses improved mental health support for students, as revealed by Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson at a Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) event on Tuesday. The proposed measures include establishing free breakfast clubs for primary schools and increasing funding for early speech and language interventions.
Phillipson emphasized the significance of children being present in school daily, highlighting the damaging impact on their life chances when they are absent. Labour’s approach involves creating a national register for home-schooled pupils, using Ofsted to review attendance data, and employing AI to identify trends in absence. Phillipson asserted that the funding for these measures would be sourced by ending tax breaks for private schools.
Government data indicates that over one-fifth of children in England are persistently absent from school, double the pre-Covid proportion. Persistent absence involves missing at least 10% of school days, approximately four full weeks annually. A recent CSJ report suggested that increased school sport could aid in addressing the issue.
Labour’s plans have gained support from Sir Kevan Collins, the former school catch-up tsar, who emphasized the long-term impact of the pandemic on school absence and educational attainment. He described the current situation as a real crisis and criticized the piecemeal and half-hearted response to the pandemic’s consequences.
On Monday, the government pledged £15 million over three years to tackle school attendance issues, announcing the establishment of 18 new attendance hubs and providing targeted support for severely absent students. Conservative MP Robin Walker urged a focus on severe absences and suggested a public information campaign to educate parents about appropriate conditions for students to stay home due to illness.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan identified attendance issues as her top priority, emphasizing the importance of children attending school for their well-being, development, and attainment.