The education system is chasing the wrong crisis — and losing the children who need us most.

Since the pandemic, school attendance in England has collapsed. One in five pupils now misses more than 10% of school. That’s not a blip—it’s a systemic breakdown.

We absolutely have a absenteeism problem. But it’s not what people think. It’s not laziness, bad parenting, or a generation that doesn’t care. According to the Department for Education’s May 2025 report, there’s a deeper cause: mental ill health is a significant driver of school absence.

The data shows that as a student’s mental health deteriorates, their attendance falls—especially for authorised absences like illness or emotional shutdown. And with 21% of 8- to 16-year-olds now likely to have a mental health problem, we’re no longer dealing with the margins. We’re watching the centre fall apart.

But the system still responds as though absence is a choice. The conversation remains focused on truancy sweeps, punitive fines, and behaviour policies. We’re punishing children for struggling—then wondering why they disengage.

The system is outdated. The challenges are not.

Young people today are navigating challenges previous generations never faced: always-on screens, isolation, algorithm-driven pressure, and widespread anxiety. Add economic hardship, insecure housing, and overstretched families, and it’s no wonder many students can’t cope with a full school week.

Yet we still deliver education like it’s the 1980s—standardised, exam-driven, inflexible. Many young people can’t see the relevance, can’t find support, and can’t get through the day.

They’re not opting out of learning. They’re trying to survive.

What does a real response look like?

At Bath Rugby Foundation’s Alternative Learning Hub, we stopped asking, “Why won’t this child attend school?” and started asking, “What is this absence telling us?”

We offer human-centred solutions that respond to the real lives of young people:

• We lock away phones during learning so students can reset and reconnect.

• We teach a relevant curriculum, blending core subjects with social-emotional learning and practical skills like construction.

• We build individual development plans that reflect the student’s story, not just their score.

• We actively involve families, turning isolation into community.

This isn’t soft or idealistic. It’s strategic. And it works. When students feel safe, seen, and supported, they show up—and thrive.

Let’s stop chasing the wrong crisis

Truancy is not a standalone problem. It’s a signal—of distress, disconnection, and a system unfit for its time.

If we want children to come back, we need to meet them where they are. That means less punishment, more purpose. Less standardisation, more belonging. Less fear, more trust.

The education system is struggling under outdated norms. Young people are facing modern challenges—technological, emotional, and societal—that schools aren’t equipped to handle. At BRF ALH, we’re showing there’s another way.

It starts by listening. And it continues by changing what school can be.

---

Want to help us rewrite the story for young people in Bath and beyond?

Learn more about our Alternative Learning Hub and how you can get involved here.