Parents are keeping their children at home because of disputes with schools, the head of the headteachers' union has warned.
The survey found that almost a third (32%) of teachers and school leaders have had students miss school this school year due to a parent dispute with the school.
A survey by the Teacher Tapp app asked 8,411 teachers and leaders from public schools in England in January what reasons other than illness had caused them to miss school this academic year.
More than half (51%) said students stayed home tired after an event the night before.
Nine out of 10 (87%) responded that they wanted to go on vacation during the semester, and more than three out of four (76%) chose family events.
John Camp, chairman of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), warns that the “unwritten social contract” between families and schools is being “broken”.
In a speech to the union's annual conference on Friday, Mr Camp will call for a “change of tone” in the national conversation about education so people can “talk” about schools and colleges.
He will point out that some politicians and commentators who “continue to tear down” schools and teachers are “helping to create division.”
John Camp, President of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)
(ASCL/PA wire)
Addressing more than 1,000 school and college leaders at Liverpool's Arena and Convention Center (ACC), Mr Camp said many headteachers were experiencing a “lower attendance” since the pandemic.
Commenting on the survey results, the ASCL President had the following to say: “This is a very complex issue. What concerns me, however, is that school absences may not be as visible as they used to be.
“And it is surprising that some children are kept at home, especially because of disputes with the school.
“Almost a third of teachers and leaders said this was the reason. Looking at responses from headteachers, who are most likely to have the full picture, almost half say this was given as a reason for non-attendance.
“This is an extreme but apparently common example of the destruction of the unwritten social contract.”
More than a fifth (21.2%) of students in England were “persistently absent” during the autumn and spring terms of 2022/23. This means missing more than 10% of the school session.
This is more than double the number of people who were persistently absent from school (10.5%) during the same period in 2018/19, Department for Education (DfE) data shows.
Last week the DfE announced a series of measures, including increased fines for unexcused absences such as regular leave, in an effort to boost attendance following the pandemic.
(Danny Lawson/PA Wire)
Two in three teachers and school leaders surveyed by Teacher Tapp (66%) cited being too concerned about students attending as the reason they did not attend.
Mr Camp says “real solutions” are needed, including greater investment in mental health support for children suffering from anxiety and depression and expanded attendance support services.
But he would add: “I think we need something else too. And that's a shift in the tone of the national conversation about education.
“It’s an acknowledgment that everyone in public office needs to do more to talk about what’s good about schools and colleges, and about teaching as a noble profession.”
Mr. Camp said some politicians and commentators would say they are “too quick to commit school shootings.”
He would add: “If we are to tell parents that school is essential, as the Department for Education’s own campaign says, “Moments matter, attendance matters”, it must be clear that education is essential. I am respected.
“When politicians and commentators constantly criticize teachers and schools and give the impression that we cannot be trusted, they are creating division.
“Of course, I do not think that this in itself is a reason for the destruction of the social contract of which I spoke.
“But that certainly doesn’t help. It creates a harsh climate. And with social media in the mix, things can go south very quickly. I’m sure many of us have experienced it.”
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Ofsted's chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, are due to speak at ASCL's two-day annual conference in Liverpool on Friday.