When Attendance Becomes a Luxury Item

The notion that teachers would take their own children on term-time holidays if they could is both astounding and telling. It suggests that these educators have lost faith in the school system’s ability to engage pupils.

A recent report by Impetus and Public First highlights this crisis of disengagement, where frontline staff question whether schools are equipped to tackle attendance problems. For too long, policymakers have relied on punitive measures – fines for unauthorized absences – which only seem to drive a wedge between families and educators.

Teachers report that issuing penalty notices often “annoys” parents and undermines the relationships they’re trying to build with pupils and their families. This might suggest that schools are caught in a paradox: tackling attendance through fines, which may actually exacerbate disengagement.

The data is stark – nearly one in five children miss at least 10% of school in England and Wales. Teachers speak of “relentless” efforts to chase down absent pupils, with many arguing that minor absences are less worrying than sustained disengagement. It’s a paradoxical situation where occasional holidays or brief absences are seen as preferable to deeper engagement issues.

The absence rate for 2025-26 was significantly higher than pre-Covid levels – a “seismic shift” in attitudes, according to researchers. Some parents and teachers share the view that full-time attendance is no longer necessary, highlighting a broader societal shift towards valuing flexibility over rigid structures.

However, this narrative overlooks the consequences of disengagement: tens of thousands of young people slipping through the cracks, as warned by Rachel de Souza. The root causes of this crisis go beyond schools’ control – gaps in mental health support, unmet special educational needs, and insufficient social services all contribute to educators feeling overwhelmed.

“We’ve got children who should have specialist provision, and they’re in our building every day,” said one senior leader. It’s a plea for help that goes beyond the scope of education policy alone. Schools are being asked to be everything from mentors to therapists, which is unsustainable.

This situation isn’t just about attendance; it’s about the value we place on education itself. When teachers question whether school days are worth more than holidays, it speaks to a deeper issue – the lack of investment in our children’s future outside of formal education.

The most effective interventions often require time and resources that schools simply don’t have. It’s time for policymakers to take a step back and assess why attendance has become such a luxury item. We need a more nuanced approach, one that acknowledges the complexities beyond school walls.

Teachers can’t solve this crisis alone; they need support from outside agencies and policymakers willing to tackle the root causes of disengagement. Until then, we risk further eroding faith in our education system – and the consequences for our society could be far-reaching.

The children’s commissioner warned us about hidden Neets, but it’s not just a numbers game – it’s about the humanity behind those statistics. We need to start valuing our children’s time as much as their attendance records. It’s time to rethink what we’re asking schools to do and to invest in the future of our young people, beyond just punitive measures for unauthorized absences.