Missing school hurts children most of all

ONE in 10 pupils are missing school in Wales. That should worry us all. Attendance is key to good educational outcomes, and good education is linked to better health and life chances.

If young people are not attending school, that potentially affects the future economy of Wales in terms of social and healthcare costs, not to mention the tragic loss of attainment and promise.

Governments, teachers and educationalists know the risks of absenteeism. That’s why in prepandemic times there were fines for parents who didn’t send their children in and attendance targets for schools.

Those safety nets were ditched last summer due to the Covid pandemic and remain on ice.

Latest provisional Welsh Government statistics show 90% attendance in schools, which is higher than it has been at times during the pandemic, so may show growing confidence in attending, but it is still low.

The Welsh Government insists that school remains compulsory. But with no penalties on those who don’t send their children in, it is surely harder to compel them to do so.

Government, schools and local education authorities are caught between a rock and a hard place.

They need to get children into school to get the education that has already been so disrupted by pandemic closures.

On the other hand, they must be sensitive to the very real concern and fear of families who have lost loved ones or have underlying health conditions – or who may simply have become anxious because of the pandemic.

Once people have become fearful, it is hard to persuade them to return. Forcing them may make matters worse.

As with all things, balance is vital. The risk to children from not attending school is now far greater than any risk to them from coronavirus.

Catch-up is an unpopular phrase, with teachers rightly pointing out it has negative connotations of learning loss which could make learners feel negative.

But the fact must be confronted that a significant degree of learning has been lost over the past year.

The task is now to win hearts and minds to persuade everyone that school is safe and the best place for children.

That will be easier said than done, but is one of the major tasks as education emerges from the pandemic.