A damning new report has exposed a growing epidemic of school absenteeism, with tens of thousands of children across England becoming so-called 'ghost children' who miss more than half their lessons.
Attendance Crisis Deepens
The Centre for Social Justice think tank reveals that 140,000 pupils were 'severely absent' last year - missing at least 50% of school sessions. This staggering figure represents a 60% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Post-Pandemic Fallout
While overall absence rates have improved slightly from the previous year, they remain significantly worse than before COVID-19 struck. The report highlights how lockdowns appear to have broken the habit of regular school attendance for many families.
Regional Disparities
The crisis shows stark geographical variations:
- North East has the highest severe absence rate at 4.4%
- South West records the lowest at 2.6%
- London shows surprising resilience with better-than-average figures
Vulnerable Groups Most Affected
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those with special educational needs are disproportionately represented among persistent absentees. Experts warn this threatens to widen the attainment gap even further.
Call for Urgent Action
The think tank proposes several solutions:
- Earlier intervention when attendance drops below 90%
- Better data sharing between schools and local authorities
- Expansion of attendance mentors programme
- Stronger enforcement of fines for unjustified absences
As the new academic year begins, education leaders fear the situation may deteriorate further without immediate measures to re-engage these 'ghost children' with their schooling.
