Mental health cited for students absent from school

Panic attacks, anxiety and mental health problems are among the reasons given by children who are avoiding going to school, following a rise in absenteeism in Wales.

Figures show that 40% of secondary school pupils in Wales missed an average of one afternoon per week in the last academic year.

A school principal said teachers are forced to drive to students' homes to try to get them back to class.

Secretary of Education Lynne Neagle said the Welsh Government funds training for teachers and school staff to meet the mental health needs of students.

Students who are constantly absent because they feel anxious about school fall under Emotion-Based School Avoidance (EBSA).

Liam from Newport, 14, neurodivergent and prescribed medication for his mental health by a psychiatrist, missed large periods of school for several years.

“I never liked going to school. I never wanted to go out every day,” he said.

“It made me feel stressed, anxious, nervous, obligated.”

He has not been in school since 2022 but benefits from periods of home school support financed by the municipality, as well as specialized support.

“There are lots of things I want to do in the future and want to have the money for, but if I don't have GCSEs I don't think I'll be able to get a good enough job with a good salary.

His parents, who both work in the education sector, said they had to reduce their work hours to stay home with him.

“There were very few positive experiences,” said his mother, Abby.

“But when you can find a staff member who understands, whether through their own experience or training, they are like gold dust.”

Gwynedd student Elsi – not her real name to protect her identity – said she hid under her kitchen table and locked herself in her bedroom because the thought of going to school triggered panic attacks.

She eventually dropped out due to social anxiety and mental health issues.

Her mother, Fflur – also not her real name – said her daughter cried and had panic attacks before going to school.

“At worst, [she] I started biting myself, kicking myself in the back and crying a lot,” Fflur said.

“Just thinking about going to school would cause a panic attack. The kids, the screaming, the screaming, the running.

“About a few years later, she started self-harming.”

She said her daughter had suicidal thoughts and was hospitalized twice.

In Wales, persistent absence is now defined as someone missing 10% of school sessions.

In March, secondary school figures showed 40% of pupils were persistently absent in 2022-23, compared to 17% in 2018-19.

Although recent monthly figures show some improvement, one school in Swansea has had to put additional plans in place to try to get pupils back.

Simon Davies, headteacher of Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bryn Tawe, said: “School leaders accompanied by pastoral support workers visited the homes.

“I know this happens at other schools too.”

Deputy headteacher Mark Bridgens, who is responsible for welfare at the school, said he was concerned for the children's safety.

“Teachers are now becoming mental health specialists,” he said.

“When they are not at school, we worry. I think there is a risk of crisis on the horizon.”

Ann John, professor of public health and psychiatry at Swansea University, warned of the impact of low school attendance on children's future prospects.

“If we look at attendance as a marker, as a symptom of other problems, if we don't solve them, then we store them and save them for later,” she said.

Education Secretary Lynne Neagle, who chairs an attendance task force to try to tackle the problem, said: “It is difficult to find a silver bullet in this area, but mental health support at school is really a big part of the solution.

“Every child aged six and over has the right to school advice in Wales. We fund the training of teachers and school staff so that they can better support pupils and we have our CAMHS [Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services] at hand.

The Welsh Conservatives' shadow education minister, Tom Giffard MS, has accused the Labor government of having “no plan to tackle soaring truancy in Wales”.

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson said: “The recommendations of any taskforce must be implemented urgently, otherwise Labor will continue to fail our children. »

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have been invited to comment.

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