Watch my speech about tackling absenteeism at schools

We know that being in school is the best way for most children to reach their potential. And that absence from school, particularly when persistent, can impact children both academically and socially.

Yet, for some children, our system is designed in such a way that school itself can impact on their wellbeing. Yesterday, in parliament, we debated a petition calling for parents to be allowed to take their children out of school for up to 10 days for free.

While I dedicated part of my speech to this topic – including urging action on airlines and holiday companies hiking holiday prices – I also spoke about the other reasons children are out of school, including those that are outside of their control.

Since the pandemic, absence from school has become a national crisis, particularly for those with SEND or mental health conditions, or are young carers. We must address the underlying causes of absence constructively, not punitively.

No parent should be fined if their child is unable to attend school because of inadequate SEND provision, and no child should be punished for being late because they have the responsibility of caring for a loved one at home.

The central point is that we must first understand why a child is not attending school, whether it is the unaffordability of holidays outside term time, SEND, young caring responsibilities, religious holidays, bereavement, or other factors.

That understanding must be the starting point before any further action is taken.

You can watch my full speech below.