David Johnston
As my right hon. Friend the Schools Minister said, the motion conflates two separate things: the issue of persistent absence, which is when pupils miss 10% or more of their lessons, and the topic of home education for those who are not in school.
[Official Report, 23 January 2024, Vol. 744, c. 228.]
Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the hon. Member for Wantage (David Johnston).
Errors have been identified in my speech responding to the Opposition Day debate on Children Not in School: National Register and Support. The correct statement should have been:
David Johnston
As my right hon. Friend the Schools Minister said, the motion conflates two separate things: the issue of persistent absence, which is when pupils miss 10% or more of their sessions, and the topic of home education for those who are not in school.
David Johnston
There were 380,000 fewer persistently absent pupils in the past academic year, and in the last academic term overall absence was down to 6.8%, from 7.5% in the autumn term the year before.
[Official Report, 23 January 2024, Vol. 744, c. 228.]
Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the hon. Member for Wantage.
Errors have been identified in my speech responding to the Opposition Day debate on Children Not in School: National Register and Support. The correct statement should have been:
David Johnston
There were 380,000 fewer pupils persistently absent or not attending in the past academic year, and in the last academic term overall absence was down to 6.8%, from 7.5% in the autumn term the year before.
David Johnston
Of course, mental health challenges underpin some of the absence—something raised by the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (Emma Hardy), among others. That is why we have been rolling out mental health support teams, which now cover 44% of pupils in schools and colleges and will cover 50% of those pupils by March 2025.
[Official Report, 23 January 2024, Vol. 744, c. 229.]
Letter of correction from the Under-Secretary of State for Education, the hon. Member for Wantage.
Errors have been identified in my speech responding to the Opposition Day debate on Children Not in School: National Register and Support. The correct statement should have been:
David Johnston
Of course, mental health challenges underpin some of the absence—something raised by the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (Emma Hardy), among others. That is why we have been rolling out mental health support teams, which now cover 35% of pupils in schools and colleges and will cover 50% of those pupils by March 2025.