An inquiry is being launched into children who are not attending school in the wake of national lockdowns, the children’s commissioner for England has said. Dame Rachel de Souza said between 80,000 and 100,000 children were not on any school rolls at all. The Department for Education (DfE) said its “top priority” was supporting children to attend school and college.
Some absences are down to illness and Covid, but other children have simply failed to return following classroom closures during the pandemic. Some may have problems with anxiety and bullying, Dame Rachel said. Dame Rachel, a former head teacher, said she was worried vulnerable children could fall into criminality. School was the best place to keep children safe, she said. Dame Rachel also said she had received commitment from Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi to create a national database to see attendance data in real time.
Local authorities and safeguarding boards across England are being involved. It’s important to find out how many children are absent from school. Supporting all children to attend school or college is a top priority. Everyone working on the ground with children, such as teachers, football coaches, mental-health workers or in any other role, should have the tools and resources they need to break down barriers to children attending school. This would afford many more children the opportunity to spend time in class with inspirational teachers and good friends – because this is still widely regarded as the single most powerful way to make sure every child fulfils their potential.
(Culled from the BBC)