Warning as absence from school soars

THE number of pupils repeatedly absent from school in Birmingham has shot up by more than 4,000, raising fears that thousands of children continued to miss out on education even after classrooms reopened.

Department for Education figures show that 28,136 Birmingham pupils were “persistently absent” in the autumn term, the first term after schools fully reopened. This means they missed at least one in ten days of school.

It was up from 23,451 persistently absent pupils in the autumn term of 2019, before the Covid pandemic began.

That was an increase of 4,685 pupils.

The absence rates are a cause for concern, according to experts.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster said: “I am deeply concerned about children who are absent from school.

“Young people who are not in school, especially for longer periods of time can become a target for the criminal gangs who seek to exploit the vulnerable.

“They become more at risk of being involved in county lines and other illicit activities.

“We need to take tough action against these gangs but we also need to tackle the root causes of how children are being criminally exploited by them.

“It is vital that more is done to get these young people back in school to ensure they have a good education and can be kept safe.”

The figures include statefunded secondary, primary and special schools in the city.

Department for Education figures also show that an average of one in ten children were off school at any given moment due to Covid.

This includes youngsters who were self-isolating or shielding, or because they are part of a class or bubble that has been told to stay at home.