To think that mass non-attendance at school is COVID-related?

[ThatDearLilacBird]

It seems like the impact of Covid is still lingering in terms of attendance. Whether it’s fear of getting sick, lingering health concerns or a change in routine during the pandemic, it feels like there’s a pattern of kids (and even parents) being less motivated to go back to school in full force. Has anyone else noticed this or is it just me overthinking it?

I think screens are a factor too. When I was off ill as a kid I was bored shitless at home after a few days when I started to feel better. Now with phones, smart tvs, Xbox, PlayStation etc being home is a lot more fun.

I'd be wary of such stats, as until last year, it wasn't compulsory to share live attendance data - some of the schools could easily have had far worse attendance and illegal exclusions but never shared it - or even altered the records prior to submitting Census data. That's now not anywhere as simple to do (and I'm certainly not going to share the theoretical way to do it to get past the DfE) - and not complying with the requirement to share live would also mean sparking interest in a school's records.

(ETA: In addition, fewer circumstances can be authorised, lateness being recorded as an absence is more strict, part time timetables to meet needs are being recorded as being absent as per the pre-Labour government's requirements, etc, etc).

It's the best data they have to work with, but it is inherently flawed to a greater extent than the last year.

Look up "emotional based school avoidance" and "children and teenage mental health crises".
Frightening times.

I know what you mean BUT this is incredibly unhelpful thinking when you are dealing with EBSA. I was dictated to by grandparents and ex that my DC should not be allowed anything, should be in uniform, even that the heating should be off so home would be so awful they would go to school - she actually loved learning and was desperate to be there but COULDN'T. The first thing that despairing, desperate parents get told is turn off the wifi. It just makes children who are already struggling even more isolated.

I think a huge issue is that non attendance is due to multiple factors and therefore there is no one answer as to what the solution is, but that is far too nuanced and messy for the media and politicians. They want to deal with old fashioned, just be can't be arsed truancy and EBSA in the same way. They want to deal with parents the same, regardless of if they don't keep a fuck and collude with the absence or if they are on their knees, in danger of losing their job and tearing their hair out trying to get support. They want the percentages to look good on a graph and in a headline. Unless and until there are people in place, with funding and training who actually get this, thigs won't improve.

Haven’t noticed it.

Yup.

The lesson that was taken is that school is a nice to have, something that doesn't have to happen if there's a good enough reason. The existing social contract on regular attendance was more fragile and recently established than some people realised, and we eroded it.

That said, it isn't the only factor by any means. Clearly there's a huge issue with suitable schooling for SEN kids too. This is interwoven with the pandemic also, but it would still be a problem even if we'd never had covid.

Some of the ways Covid contributed are:

The break in the social contract , not only school was cancelled last minute, but whole year groups would be sent home . It wasn’t just ok, but recommended and advised to keep your kid home with a sniffle, mild cough, cold, mild fever etc.

The massive backlog in all support services, especially SS, SEN, mental health.

The realisation for a lot of kids and parents that the school environment only made their issues worse and then having to go back.

The rise in anxiety and panic attacks heavily promoted by the media with deaths and threats of “you’re killing granny!”. Then kids and their parents expected to just get on with it like it never happened.

The vast inequality in the quality/type of schooling and support given during those years.

A lot of schools massively struggled financially to offer the best they could at home and in schools. The government support never materialised or it was some bollocks to help “catch up” of “you’re entitled to 1.5 laptops”.

All this added up and it might’ve been 5 years ago , but things are not back to normal. Services definitely aren’t.

Christ alive, is that usual in schools?

Then kids and their parents expected to just get on with it like it never happened.
But like you say, it was five years ago. When do you suggest would be a reasonable time to take up our lives again and move on??

I’ll give you a concrete(real life) example so it’s a bit clearer what I mean.

For various reasons(including the fucking ridiculous fearmongering), Jimmy develops severe health anxiety during Covid . A classmate blowing a raspberry at him or sneezing out send him in a full blown panic attack that he is going to die. Children (and schools by extension) are dirty little things. Every single day makes his anxiety worse (despite nothing bad happening) because he sees more and more germy things and behaviours. He washes his hands so obsessively they’re bleeding raw. The people and things he used to take comfort in (soft toy, calming corner , sensory room, the kind TA/teacher ready for a chat or a hug,friends/classmates) are talking , walking, killing germs. CAMHS has a wait list of 3 years and “he’s not that bad anyway” or “he’ll grow out if it”, he’s too young for medication,GP useless if you can get an appointment (other than prescribing cream for the hands), private zoom therapy doesn’t work and every single day he gets worse because there’s no escape.

Now Jimmy is not the only one , despite being quite an extreme case. There were hundreds of kids like him though , at various points of the spectrum (some even worse) that waited years for some actual, practical support which as you know , doesn’t give instant result anyway.

In your opinion , When exactly should Jimmy have gotten over it and more importantly, how?

Yes and much worse.

I’m in Scotland. They’ve banned school permanently excluding pupils. So pupils know they can do whatever they want and nothing will happen. And then the police have been told that people under 25 shouldn’t be imprisoned, so that’s fun too. There’s a guy in my kids school who is regularly charged by the police with assaulting classmates and nothing ever happens. This is SNP’s Scottish government. Utterly, knuckle-draggingly mindblowingly idiotic decisions made over our kids education by complete and utter morons.

Well CAMHS etc wasn’t around years ago and most kids went to school.

Where I live pre covid CAMHS waiting lists were 3 years for CBT and 6 months if your child was actively attempting suicide. Criminally bad. Now they’re just ignoring anyone who’s not self harming or worse.

I also think schools were really feral and violent back in the 80/90s when I was in going. Or at least mine was! No pastoral care, no wellbeing team.

CAHMS started in 1987 , developed properly in 1995. Even before that , there was still a mental health service for children , just part of the adult services.

And let’s face it , years ago no one gave a shit whether kids were in school and how long they stayed in education for , regardless of the official lines.

I think poverty and home circumstances have a lot to do with school refusal

Possibly. But some kids go through a hell of a lot of trauma when they are young due to childhood illness- missing months and years of school, in hospital, treatment etc. They are expected to just grow up and get on with things, despite the disruption to their early life. They aren’t generally given a get-out clause in the same way as ‘covid children’ are. I do appreciate that some kids have awful home lives and it’s these kids I feel suffered the most.

I’ll admit I look at this through my own lens (I was a seriously unwell child) so maybe I see it all a bit differently.

But I just feel that the covid lockdowns needs to stop being an excuse.

God help the kids of today if a war hit!

Oh and let’s not forget that “uneducables” only stopped being a thing in 1970. So exactly how far back would you like to go?

The ridiculously strict discipline in some schools must be very off-putting.

No going to the toilet apart from break time as they are locked.

Ludicrous uniform regulations and detention if you don't comply.

Lunch box police.

To name but 3 annoyances. Schools are not the welcoming places they used to be.

Such a good thread!

If your DC self harms, CAMHS just tell you to store blades, knives, pencil sharpeners etc and medication somewhere the teen can't get them. Which, funnily enough, I had already done. I'd just missed one tiny blade in a bedroom.
They literally don't have any capacity for children who are self harming. They don't see you any sooner. My DC managed to get hold of a blade in school as they said they couldn't fully supervise them there.

I’m glad people are keeping kids off when they are not well although it’s sadly not something I’m noticing around where I live. Sick of sniffly kids spreading their germs to everyone around them non stop from September to June. Even if it’s just a cold, the first day or two can make you feel miserable and I doubt kids will be taking much in anyway in terms or learning. Let the poor kids recover in bed.

I think there has been a shift in attitude since the lock down , prior to it we were constantly having it rammed down our throats how vital school attendance is and the consequences of low attendance alongside the threat of fines.
Then we had the ridiculous rules of a pupil having contact with their uncles next door neighbour but ones budgie who tested positive and so everyone in the class within a 10 mile radius got sent home to isolate alongside their own family members,i think my child was sent home twice on top of her own positive test isolation.
But at the same time you could walk around The Range / Home bargains etc and of course while all this was happening the government were screwing around and partying.
That 5 years seems like a blink of an eye ago but we were treated like idiots for a long time ,people don't forget and any respect for authority has been greatly affected .

Worth pointing out that it's been more like 3 years than 5. This time 5 years ago, we still had a loooooooot of the worst restrictions and public health messaging to come.

That said, I don't subscribe to the view that this must have a set shelf life either.