If you work in education, what do you think is causing the current attendance issues?

[NeedAnUpgrade]

I’ve read quite a lot on this recently. DD1 is 10, she’s always been reluctant to go to school. She had a spate of UTIs, stomach aches, headaches etc. She’s had a bit of time off sick but we only triggered the attendance letter recently as it went below a certain threshold. DH and I have always done our best to get her into school, being reassured that she’s ‘been fine all day’ by her teachers. It all came to a head this year (yr 5) after a complete meltdown, several anxiety attacks and refusal to leave the house. She’s now on a reduced timetable at school and on the waiting list for an ASD assessment.
Academically she’s ahead but just can’t seem to cope with the school environment.

I’m just wondering what those who work in education think the issues are. Am I just a terrible parent? Although I’m not sure what else I could do. I suspect a complete lack of funding in education has had the biggest impact on schools and students. Especially those with SEN.

Our Autistic DD really struggled with the big local secondary school. I'm sure if we hadn't have switched her to a small private school she'd be refusing thank fuck we can scrape the money together.

The problems I noticed caused her issues:
Big busy and loud - so sensory overload.

Moving from one room to another and different timetable that switched between week 1&2, for DD she likes predictablity and finds maps/instructions on how to find somewhere hard.
Add in time pressure to get to the next room and next lesson.

She struggles with perceiving time and reading a clock so knowing what time she needed to get to the next lesson adds stress.

Then all the rules and worrying about breaking them.

Not knowing who to go to with a question or problem and not being able to laterally think because of her autism that Mr/Mrs teacher might know.

For girls with autism that want to be social it's then the struggle it takes daily for them to mirror and hide their differences, for them not stim etc. To fit in be "normal."

Socialising gets that more complex when they are at secondary especially if you are autistic.

Finally there's the more complex work and no wonder SEN children often refuse
School.

Add in no help in anyway for children like DD who often need just a little pastoral support.

A lot of mentions of the English curriculum being over packed etc, but I think Wales have had exactly the same attendance problems, and the curriculum here is totally different, and is, for instance, play based for the first few years. So I'm not convinced that the curriculum in England is the problem. I think it's primarily due to lockdowns - you just can't close all the schools and then get everyone to believe attendance is so very important. Although there's other important factors too, I think this is the main one.

I wonder if there’s an element of social contagion - and no, that’s doesn’t mean ‘putting it on’. If a number of children are refusing school, then it will seem like a valid option in response to stress or pressure at school.

For me, it didn’t even enter my head that I could just refuse to go to school. I had a very stressful time at school for various reasons and who knows, if it had felt like an option maybe I would’ve attempted it? And the more I was resisted the more distressed I would’ve become.

Fucking attendance assemblies - on repeat. To children with excellent attendance this is infuriating.

Speaking from personal experience, there are some people who had a taste of home schooling via covid and really enjoyed it.

No idea how many that applies to, but it applies to me.

It wasn't social contagion that caused my 10 year old to rather kill himself by jumping out of windows or moving cars rather than go to school.

This was pre-covid.

She sounds exactly my now yr10.
Covid saved her in a way as she was yr6 in March 2020 and was about at the end of her rope as far as school went.

I think anxiety around being in the classroom with others is a big issue. My dd struggles every day with 1 class where the teacher has no control so the kids scare her. Not aimed at her just the general unrest.

My youngest is yr5 they were yr1 when covid hit. His class is massively split between those that can and those that are miles behind. This is because homeschooling provision was so varied as a crucial time. And they've spent the last 4 years trying to 'catch up'. They are going to be a tough year going into secondary I think.

In terms of the not being able to speak to teachers- have they tried something visual. Dd had a tiddlywink which has 2 colours. She kept it on her desk, 1 colour was "I'm ok" the other was "I'm not ok/I need help" it wasn't perfect but it worked to a degree.

I'd look at the diagnoses if you have the option now asd/adhd/add and even dyslexia, dyspraxia can be part of what you are describing.

I will say things ha e impr9ved for my dd as she's gone through secondary. Now in yr10 so options picked, lessons she didn't like/cope with dropped and more focus on what she chose has definately helped.

There are a number of children who are very very very traumatised by school. I see them crying, shaking, vomiting in my DC's primary school. Running towards traffic, head banging against the pavement, biting parents. My DD (AuDHD suspected) has been one for six years now. Very very extreme reaction to going to school, she becomes mute and catatonic at times. Other times she bites and hits me. This is completely ego dystonic for her, she is the sweetest, kindest, most gentle soul.
My rule has always been that she will go into school, no matter how long it takes. It could take an hour or two sometimes. I ring work, they know that I will make it in. I have only given up four times in six years when she was doing serious harm to herself or really distressed. My bugbear is that school don't help and even after the worst drop offs, no one asks me if I'm ok, it is the most draining stressful experience of my life.
However
Things get better. Her meltdowns have lost some of their intensity. Year one was when it was at its absolute worst. She can articulate what's going on for her much more now.
I see some parents give up way too easily. I see them give in at the tiniest inkling of anxiety. I think it might be working from home. If you need to join a 9am meeting, it is much easier to take your kid home with you and log on rather than battle with them at the school gates for hours. My worry is that you're not developing that resilience. But then I wouldn't judge any parent for doing what they need to in order to not get sacked.

Also my child went to school throughout lockdown so that wasn't a factor for us, she has always struggled with drop offs.

For us it was covid. It was like my child saw going to school as optional.

1. Its this. They had a long period due to covid where they experienced a different way of living, and they preferred it or found it easier.

But also:

2. A lot of parents are less strict now than when i was a kid. I see so many parents sort of feebly tell or ask their kid not to do x or to stop y but they do not actually impose an immediate consequence. There are no fucking boundaries.

Schools are trying to maintain boundaries and consequences and discipline, and if you aren't used to those at home school will feel like a shock to the system.

3. kids have so much exposure to hyper stimulating activities - screens especially. They have shorter attentions spans and just can't concentrate/get bored if not constantly stimulated and entertained. In the past school probably didn't seem that bad if the alternative was kicking a tin can round the street bored.

I wonder if there’s an element of social contagion - and no, that’s doesn’t mean ‘putting it on’. If a number of children are refusing school, then it will seem like a valid option in response to stress or pressure at school.For me, it didn’t even enter my head that I could just refuse to go to school

Also this. It just wasn't an option at all to not go - there was nothing to validate a feeling that you didn't want to go.

Are there draconian uniform rules? Are children routinely singled out and shamed for minor infractions of uniform?
Is there somewhere the children can safely stow their coats during school hours?
Is there a dedicated cafeteria or do children have to stand outside and eat, or eat quickly and make room for another group?
Can children use the loo during school hours or are the loos locked to prevent shenanigans?
Is there a constant low level of disruption or even more blatant disruption in class, forcing teachers to display their sergeant major side, with no attempt to forget positive relationships with the students, and teachers always this close to bawling the whole class out and issuing mass detentions?

Definitely NOT - you sound like an involved caring parent.

If you have a polite child, DC will not be used to the lack of consideration/ manners from children who have not had to mix and share. Teachers are struggling too - trying to catch them up and teach them to behave better towards each other.

I volunteer in school, so arrive after registration time. I see a large number of reluctant late arrivals, that I did not pre-COVID.

Not that I would suggest it for you, but I have helped a parent force her child through the door, both in tears. She needs to work and cannot afford to allow him to stay home. Once in and she has left, he is fine, and trots into class like a lamb. (I used to see this when taking my 3 year old son to infants, there were 2 children who regularly played mum up.)

My y5's are a conflict of being bored by lessons for younger children (catchup), and unable to grasp what they are getting because the foundation is missing. I do my best to praise their progress, regardless of where they are, but reading help is only available in 1 out of the three classes. Reading age runs from infant to great, and they are aware of and anxious about being behind.

They are also used to 1 to 1 from parents and more attention, that they are not used to fighting for it in a class of 30. They are also not used to sitting still and working for a whole school day - this is not ADHD, just lack of practise at school routine. Home is a comfort space and school is scary.

Could you or grandparent find the time to volunteer?

A rigid curriculum.. where all students make progress and learn all the time.. the sheer amount of content for 15 year olds to learn is mind boggling.. 10 content heavy GCSES.. it's too much for brains that are developing.

Teacher burn out .. there is no time to 'be' ..

The majority of students feel under pressure in those situations, and therefore are reluctant to go

the 'uprising' of mental health awareness, and parents not wanting to 'fight' (or not having the capacity to).. so 'giving mental health down time

Excellent post.

Has she got a new teacher? The reason I ask is that my Mum said that I used to say every morning that I was ill. I was 7-8. The teacher was a bully. In my 70s and still would love to push my fist in her face. Another reason could be a child making her life misrable

I feel like I have witnessed the tide turning from attending school to non -attendance.

I'm in NZ where we had close to 3yrs of on-off lockdowns and schools were frequently shut. When they were open kids didn't want to go bc when they did, there were so few other kids there. Parents didn't want their kids to go bc they were afraid they'd get sick, or their kids had developed high anxiety.

Momentum was lost. Plus teaching during the pandemic really sucked, extremely stressful, so lots of teachers left the profession which meant lots of schools were no longer offering the level of education provision they had previously.

When kids did go to school, teachers pulled them up on uniform infractons and other petty shit instead of embracing the reality of the huge changes everyone had experienced.

Kids who had ni e homes with good connectivity and supportive parents had managed to study during lockdown and no longer saw the point in attending just to tick off attendance. Kids who were crammed into overcrowded homes with stressed parents fell behind, lost confidence, for anxious and were reluctant to return.

Senior students in the lowest income homes left school to work and support their families as so many people lost jobs.

So that's what happened. Now we have a new government that has vowed to "crack down" on attendance without the slightest nod to the turmoil of the past few years, the grim conditions teaching staff entire, and the fact that school has become largely irrelevant other than a place yo meet up with same age students.

You can't legislate your way out of a crisis. Teachers need to be supported with better pay and continual access to upskilling. Schools need to be adequately resourced. Kids need to be welcomed rather than punished.

Uniform is a huge expense here, around the $400-$1000 mark per student. Stationery can be anything from $30 to $200, then there's the costs of transport and trips.

So many people just cannot afford any of these costs. There are around 300,000 children living in abject poverty who regularly miss school because they have no food to take.

The End

covid was 2 years ago. It’s time to stop using that as an excuse and move on.

Wrong. In NZ, lockdowns were a thing until a year ago. We then had huge disruption caused by a cyclone which saw great swathes of the country reduced to a civil emergency framework ie. all non-essential services shut. But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your argument.

It's an excuse for some, a reason for others.

WFH is a direct consequence of COVID, and as has been pointed out upthread can make the decision to keep a child at home easier.

Behavioural/developmental issues as a result of lengthy lockdowns take time to work though. Years. I saw these myself, heard from teaching friends in others schools, and had it confirmed by the HT as widespread, not particular to our school. This is Melbourne, but I'd be amazed if it was different in the UK.

A mixture of things. I think covid changed a lot for our schools and children. One being the amount of time children and teens use screens. I genuinely think a huge proportion of our young people are addicted to their phones/devices. The more they retreat into the ‘safe’ world of their games and interests the harder it is to encourage them to focus on ‘boring’ written tasks. The world of study, reading aloud, collaborating with others etc seems alien to them now. Many children now just hide their phones under the table and disassociate from life. It’s a growing problem I see clearly in schools. I feel like I’m teaching zombies as they know little about the world and are locked away in themselves. I would argue that extended screen time is changing the structure of their brains and leading to adhd type behaviours. In addition some are up all night on tech and struggling through the day. Covid also seemed to cause a degradation in standards in so many areas of life. One being funding in schools. The school I work in is not unusual in its problems with staff morale, resources, training and levels of support. I see pupils wander around the school refusing to go to classes and causing mayhem. Many can’t be excluded due to Scottish legislation (many are care experienced children.) Our management face daily abuse and frustration. They can’t support us as they are surviving themselves. More vulnerable children are being traumatised watching/listening to this behaviour. Due to a push for restorative practices there is little accountability for antisocial behaviour and teaching can’t take place in its usual fashion. I work in a secondary school mostly but my work in primaries shows a similar trend. I feel the cost of living crisis has hit us hard. Parents are tired out working to survive. Families are stretched for time. Children aren’t getting the same amount of energy from their family and family values are declining. Parents want school to educate their children. Increasingly school is becoming a place where those who struggle most take up the majority of the time. Teachers are now counsellors and social workers. There is no scope for the softer side of inspiring the next generation, being a role model going the extra mile. Most are burnt out. There is nothing healthy and wholesome about our school systems and I despair at this every day I work with young people. Sorry to paint a bleak picture. It’s not you but the society we live in. When will there be a step change?

I’m not in education but my daughter is 20 and got diagnosed with autism last week and was exactly how you describe your daughter. Even down to recurrent UTIs. You’re amazing what you’ve done so far I only wish I was half as good a parent as you are my daughter suffered for years begging me to home school her but I was a nurse i couldn’t. Oh how I wish I’d listened more and took her out of school and quit my job as nothing is more important than being a parent. the environment was torture for her looking back. Don’t force your daughter. Listen to her. School isn’t right for everyone even though education is in whatever area your daughter wants to focus her attention.
you’re amazing what you’ve done so far I commend you highly and wish I had done half of what you have

Majority - bone idleness. Can't be the curriculum as we've had that curriculum 10 years now and this was never an issue a few years ago.

It’s really difficult. My DD’s attendance was under 70% a handful of times from year 8-10, due to illness but also some anxiety there. I think my DD is on the spectrum but has been missed. Terrible social anxiety, top of the class on paper but never puts her hand up. I did tell her she had to go to school and it was non negotiable or I’d be in trouble. But often the school rang me to pick her up, and she wasn’t well for a couple of years due to very low iron (transfusion after first period). If she was well though she had to go in. She did start to fall behind but when she started year 10 it was almost like a switch flicked, asleep early, up early to do some work before school and she’s been recognised with some awards for results in mocks etc.

She still doesn’t like school and never has but she’s doing really well. It’s not been easy, she leaves school this year but will go back for 6th form. It’s been a battle. Home schooling wasn’t happening, I have a very busy job and we did say she couldn’t just miss school so she went reluctantly. If she’s well I’d push for her to go in. I know it’s not that easy but I wasn’t going down the road of her staying at home if she’s well. Apart from a very odd mental health day.

when I work from home the last thing I want is my child there, he’s a nuisance, maybe if someone had every easy children