A more consistent approach to fines for parents whose children are absent from school is needed, alongside better support for pupils with mental health difficulties and those with special educational needs, a committee of MPs has said.
School absence rates which worsened during the pandemic have seen “no significant improvement” and are “of great concern”, the Education Committee said.
The cross-party group of MPs, which launched an inquiry into persistent absence and support for disadvantaged pupils in January, said more than a fifth (22.5%) of pupils were persistently absent – around double the pre-pandemic rate.
