Parents are being more cautious about sending their children to school since the pandemic, with class absences soaring across the country.
Some children are "struggling to leave home" with many more reporting anxiety and mental health issues, according to councils in England.
Evidence presented to MPs on the Commons education select committee claims parents are more cautious about sending their children to school with minor ailments such as coughs and colds.
It is reported that parents actions are a result of public health messaging during the pandemic.
The latest attendance data from the Department for Education shows that absences in the spring term this year were 50% higher than before the pandemic.
In 2021-22 more than one in five secondary pupils were “persistently absent” which means they were missing 10% or more of sessions.
