Classroom absences: 300,000 pupils didn’t attend school last year

The Education Policy Institute found that unexplained absences have jumped by 40% since 2017.

Transcript

00:00The government is being urged to tackle the growing problem of school absences after a

00:06report revealed that as many as 300,000 children didn't attend school last year. The Education

00:12Policy Institute found that unexplained absences have jumped by 40% since 2017. The report

00:18also uncovered that over 50,000 students left state schools before year 11, with no clear

00:24explanation for why. The Department for Education says it plans to introduce new Children Not

00:29in School registers to better track who's missing from classrooms. It's also planning

00:33extra protections for home-educated children involved in social care investigations and

00:38a single system to help education, health and care services work together. A DV spokesperson

00:44says they're working to break down barriers and ensure every child gets the education

00:48they deserve, but experts warn this is a growing issue that needs urgent attention. While getting

00:53children back into the classrooms is one challenge, how well schools are performing is another

00:57key focus. New school league table results have just been released, shedding light on

01:01how institutions across the country are faring.