‘Presenteeism’ online driving school absence, report finds
A new report warns persistent school absence has become endemic and embedded as a cultural norm, with the online world driving real-world school absenteeism.
The report, Listening to, and learning from, young people in the attendance crisis, is based on focus groups with sixty Year 10 pupils of varied social backgrounds across England. Published jointly by Impetus and Public First, it finds that despite young people having a strong sense of ambition and a clear desire to succeed in life, daily attendance at school is no longer a given. Instead, it is a decision made each morning, weighed against tiredness, wellbeing, friendships, family pressures and the pull of the online world. This echoes what parents had previously told researchers in a separate report from the same organisations in 2023.
Regarding the online world, the report finds that ‘presenteeism’ online drives absenteeism in schools. Pupils reported feeling pressure to be present for late-night gaming and group chats, leaving them tired the next day and contributing to their decisions not to attend school. As well as being tired in school, participants were also tired of school – it was viewed as rigidly structured with limited scope for pupil autonomy, and for many simply as a means to an end (obtaining qualifications) rather than a place of belonging. In the online world, pupils also saw alternative versions of success, connection and agency, leading some to see less value in school and academic achievement.
The research also considered the effects of sanctions and fines in tackling absenteeism, finding that while they can compel attendance in the short term, they may also damage engagement in the longer term. The report notes: ‘In many of the schools we did research in, the same adult is responsible for encouraging attendance, delivering punishments for absence and supporting pupils to reengage. Pupils told us this set-up undermines their trust in those individuals.’
The report makes a number of recommendations, including that schools should value and structure social time – protecting time in the school day, such as lunchtime, to foster friendships and belonging – as well as promote enrichment activities beyond the classroom. There is also a call for schools to separate pastoral support from sanctions, so that pupils will have more trust in the adults who help them. More broadly, it calls on the government to undertake an evaluation to understand whether fines for absence are helping or harming. Government should also support schools and parents to develop clear social norms around technology use in and out of school, the report says.
Commenting on the findings, Katie Carr, associate director (education) at Public First, said: ‘What comes through powerfully in this research is that young people are ambitious and want to succeed, but too many feel that school is something being done to them rather than with them. If we want to reverse this crisis, we need to take their voices seriously. That means building in more opportunities for connection, enrichment and agency, so that school feels relevant and engaging every day.’
Susannah Hardyman MBE, Chief Executive of Impetus, also commented: ‘For young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, these findings are particularly acute. They are already 40 per cent less likely to pass GCSE English and maths and are missing school at a higher rate than their better off peers. We urgently need to rethink what is driving absence and how it is managed. That means more connection and more choice in a school environment that works for young people, not just on them.’
The report follows last month’s call from education secretary Bridget Phillipson for parents to get more involved in boosting attendance and behaviour. Noting progress already made she said: ‘But we all need to do more, and when it comes to getting kids in and behaving – this includes mums, dads and carers too.’ Ms Phillipson was speaking as she unveiled a package of support for schools to help tackle behaviour and attendance.
Full Public First/Impetus report: https://tinyurl.com/2y9mvduh