Member

As a teacher with 20 years at the chalkface, I welcome many of the moves to improve attendance at our schools, but there are better ways than fines and penalties. In a case where a 14-year-old girl would rather die than attend her school, there are clearly other issues that need to be addressed. The positive impacts of good attendance in our schools have drastic lifelong implications, but our schools must be made safe. They need to be the solution, not part of the problem. They should provide support for children facing challenges. I welcome the phrase, “When it is in their best interest”, but I hope that, in deciding what that is, the voices of the families will be heard. There are a number of families whose children are not in education and remain at home—like Rosie. A considerable number are home-educated and they tell me that that is because the schools cannot meet their needs.