Sir Peter Lampl of the Sutton Trust blames the rise in UK school absences on the increase of parents working from home. He asserts that this shift has relaxed parents' attitudes toward ensuring their children's consistent school attendance. Department for Education figures show a jump to 22.3% in persistent student absences in 2022-23 from about 10% pre-pandemic.
Lampl suggests that to combat this issue, parents should return to office work, and the government should reinvest in family support services that have been reduced. He warns that high absence rates have serious consequences for social mobility, particularly affecting the most disadvantaged pupils by limiting their educational achievements and future prospects.