{"id":200041,"date":"2024-02-29T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=200041"},"modified":"2024-02-29T09:20:07","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T09:20:07","slug":"damian-hinds-minister-persistent-absence-risks-childrens-futures-heres-how-well-address-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/damian-hinds-minister-persistent-absence-risks-childrens-futures-heres-how-well-address-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Persistent absence risks children’s futures. Here’s how we’ll address it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Schools Week<\/em> readers will know as well as I do that if a child misses just one day of school, that is one day\u2019s worth of education lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it\u2019s more than one day, those losses will be cumulative and the effect on long-term prospects could not be more damaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Covid was an unprecedented global event that somewhat changed societal attitudes around sickness and school attendance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to the impact of the pandemic, absence had been gradually declining, from 6 per cent in 2009-10 to 4.7 per cent in 2018-19. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But just like countries around the world we have been dealing with an increase in absence due to this attitude shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although a lot of work has gone into reversing the effects of that – around\u202f380,000 fewer pupils were persistently off school last year than the year before – there are still far too many children who are regularly absent.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s far too many children who risk failing to make the most of their potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Attendance data will be key’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Schools and teachers are working hard to support pupils and their attendance and great examples of exemplary practice are evident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Absence fines rise to \u00a380 and daily data mandatory from September<\/a><\/blockquote>