Millions of school absences in Norfolk lead to concerns about ‘little dopamine addicts’
A Government report has claimed pupils in Norfolk will lose out on £1billion in future earnings due to taking time off school last year.
Research by the Department for Education (DfE) has calculated that on average, each day away from classes at secondary school results in a £750 loss in future income for that pupil.
The calculations are based on the working that persistently absent students also have higher chances of not being in stable employment by the age of 28.
Education leaders warn of a growing problem with absences and engagement at schools in Norfolk, blamed partly on a breakdown in trust between parents and teachers.
HIGH COST OF MISSING SCHOOL
The DfE study used data and research on lifetime earnings linked to education to establish if there is an association between school absence and income.
It looked at GCSE attainment, pension and tax data, average earnings in a single tax year and the number of school absences.
The analysis concluded that as absence increases, future earnings decrease.
Officials estimate one day of additional absences between Years 7 to 11 led to a £750 loss in earnings by the age of 28.
Last year, there were 2.4million absences recorded at Norfolk schools overall, 42.5% of which were unauthorised.
The majority of the absences, 1.3million, were at secondary schools.
However, the report acknowledges it only shows a “positive association” between absence and attainment but cannot claim that it is the sole cause.
The authors said: “Many factors will influence an individual’s employment outcomes; school absence is not the sole driver of future income or employment prospects.
“Pupils with high absence rates might have lower earnings than their peers due to other factors, regardless of the direct effect of absences.”
RECORD ABSENCES
School absences have become a topic of intense debate in recent months.
A record number of 10,000 parents were fined by Norfolk County Council last year for taking children out of school during term time.
Education bosses said some families see school as “optional” since the pandemic and that increased fines are not reversing the trend.
However, there is also a growing backlash among parents, with protests taking place against fines in Norwich.
TRUST BREAKDOWN
Scott Lyons, district secretary of the National Education Union, believes the findings may do little to dissuade unauthorised absences.
He fears a breakdown in trust between parents and schools is exacerbating the problem, with some feeling learning is “optional”.
The issue has worsened since Covid and lockdown periods and it continues to remain high.
He said: “Some families will not care about this; they have forgotten the value of education.
“We are living in a world of instant gratification. Worrying about the loss of £750 in earnings in the future will not come on their radar.
“There is a waning interest in the long-term offer of schools, of hard work now to reap rewards later.
“Unfortunately, there has been an erosion in trust.
“I am particularly worried about the Covid cohort, who are like little dopamine addicts having been raised in front of screens. Teachers say it is really alarming.”
Mr Lyons believes the decline in trust has been exacerbated by parents using sites such as Mumsnet and Facebook, where they are more likely to come across negative views of schooling being shared.
“It used to be a minority of two or three families who may have these opinions but with the internet, they find other people reinforcing their views and it grows into a bigger problem,” he added.
“The system is currently tipped in favour of parents, who can complain in many different ways. It has taken the power away from schools.”
A Norfolk County Council spokeswoman said the authority is “committed to improving school attendance and punctuality, recognising its link to positive outcomes for children”.
“Early intervention and understanding its complex causes are part of our ‘strategic approach’ to address the issue,” she said.
