A record number of children in England were severely absent from school last year as families continue to deal with the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a report published on Thursday.
It also said among various reasons that contributed to the increase, anxiety is considered by many as “the biggest driver,” with children who grew up during school shutdowns finding it difficult to leave home.
The report, titled “Lost and not found,” was published by The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), an independent think tank co-founded by former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith.
Analysing the latest annual release of school absence data from the Department for Education (DfE), the report showed the number of children missing more than half of their school days increased sharply in each term since the COVID-19 pandemic, reaching a record 140,843 children during the summer term in 2022….