Have your say: Has your child refused to go to school?
Majority of students refused to go to school at least once last year, new study finds
The Barnardos children's charity has released a study revealing that over half of primary school pupils and two-thirds of secondary students have refused to attend school at least once last year due to various reasons. In primary schools, 59% of parents reported their children were anxious about returning to school, with this figure increasing to 70% in secondary education.
The primary concern among both age groups was the fear of social situations, with 30% of primary pupils and 31% of secondary students citing issues with friendships. Other significant factors included difficulties engaging with lessons and bullying. Parents are invited to share their experiences of their children refusing to go to school, the frequency of these instances, and the steps they took to assist their children.
They are also asked to express their views on the school's or other services' support and the reasons they believe more children are avoiding school.
Written by urgent.news from The Irish Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
