Schools in England seeing more pupil absences on Fridays

Change in parents' work patterns since Covid may have led to pupils staying home

Schools in England are seeing a huge amount" of pupil absence on Fridays with children staying at home with their parents following a shift in attitudes post-Covid, MPs have been told.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the children's commissioner for England, told the education committee that persistent absence from schools is one of the issues of our age" and called for a razor sharp focus" on the problem.