School absence figures have risen since pandemic

Wales’ education minister has called for a “national effort” to tackle falling school attendance figures.

Since the pandemic, overall attendance figures have dropped.

In the 2018/19 academic year, absenteeism figures stood at 5.7%. This figure has risen to 10.5% in the 2022/23 academic year, provisional data shows.

Meanwhile, persistent absenteeism (attendance lower than 80%) among pupils eligible for free school meals has more than doubled – rising from 8.4% in 2018/19 to 18.8% in 2022/23.

Education minister Jeremy Miles said: “Attendance figures have not recovered since the pandemic in a way we would have hoped – it needs a national effort to tackle the ongoing attendance issue.

“Improving school attendance must been seen as a national priority. We know there are a range of reasons or underlying causes for learner absence, and that this has been further exacerbated over the last two years.”

Mr Miles said there is a “well-established link between attendance, attainment and wellbeing”.

He continued: “Schools are doing excellent work, but they can’t do this on their own. Learners need to be attending school, seeing their friends, and learning in the classroom.

“This is vital for their wellbeing, their education, and their future prospects.

“Parents and carers should be doing absolutely everything they can to ensure their children are in school. It’s the best way to give them the start in life and the future they deserve.”

A consultation into new draft guidance from the Welsh Government is currently underway.

The consultation is seeking views on the current definition of persistent absence – currently defined as more than 20%.

This figure is often set as the trigger for intervention, such as the involvement of the Education Welfare Service.

The consultation will review whether lowering the threshold for intervention would better support families.

It can be found on the Welsh Government’s website and will run until July 20.