Heads have ‘duty’ to drive absent pupils to school if necessary – Keegan

Pupil absences have reached a "crisis" level, according to Education Secretary Gillian Keegan, who has given her support to headteachers driving children to school if necessary.

In an interview with Sky News, Keegan emphasised the "duty" of headteachers to ensure that children attend school regularly. Recent figures revealed that approximately 125,000 pupils were severely absent last year, meaning they were absent more frequently than they were present in the classrooms.

When asked about instances of headteachers personally driving to children's homes to pick them up and bring them to school, Keegan responded: "They have a duty. We all have to play our part. I have a number of headteachers who work with me on policy and sometimes you just have to do that – sometimes you have to go or you have to text the parent in the morning... you do whatever is possible."

Pressed on whether this was a productive use of headteachers' time, Keegan stated: "It is a good use to have all kids in school. That's not what we want headteachers doing all of their days. But to be honest, right now, if that works to get somebody in school, it's worth it."

The issue of pupil absences has become particularly concerning in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in school closures and remote learning for extended periods.

Last month, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described children missing school as a "tragedy" and emphasised the detrimental impact on educational outcomes. However, school leaders criticised Sunak's comments as "unhelpful."

James Bowen, assistant general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, expressed his concerns, stating: "These comments are unhelpful and demonstrate a worrying lack of understanding of