The impact of the pandemic on every aspect of education has been much discussed, and the ramifications are increasingly evident and understood.
But one of the most pressing issues, which until now has been largely ignored, is the breakdown in the relationship between schools and parents when it comes to sending children to school every day.
Since 2019, overall absence has rocketed by more than 50 per cent, with persistent absence (students missing 10 per cent or more of lessons) more than doubling.
New groundbreaking research, funded by a trio of charities, School-Home Support, Impetus and Khulisa, sought to understand parental views on sending their children to school every day. This deterioration spans socioeconomic groups and requires immediate attention.
