Truancy jumps by a FIFTH on Fridays as ministers blame WFH parents pulling ... trends now
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Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has blamed parents working from home for an 'unacceptable' spike in school absences on Fridays.
An analysis of Government figures has shown unauthorised absences are 20 per cent higher on Fridays than Wednesdays.
Ms Keegan said schools were facing 'major challenges' with parents taking their children out of the classrooms for long weekends or holidays without permission.
Writing in The Times, the Education Secretary said: 'There are still major challenges with data showing unauthorised holiday absence increasing by 25 per cent.
'There are regularly 50,000 more pupil absences on a Fridays compared with Mondays, which could be linked with many parents working from home.'
The Cabinet minister said that being in school was 'fundamental to a child's future success in life' as she vowed to improve attendance rates as her 'top priority'.
She also set out her intention to restore social norms about children attending school every day, as she admitted the Covid pandemic 'had a major impact on school attendance'.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has blamed parents working from home for an 'unacceptable' spike in school absences on Fridays
An analysis of Government figures has shown unauthorised absences are 20 per cent higher on Fridays than Wednesdays
'We are very clear: it is unacceptable to take a deliberate decision to take your child out of school,' the Education Secretary said.
The Times reported that Ms Keegan wants to move on from Covid-era expectations that children with runny noses and other minor ailments should stay at home, while
