As reported by Sky News, labour aims to spotlight rising school absences, seeking a vote on creating a list of children missing lessons under the current government
Announcing their plans, the opposition party highlights that absences have reached “historic” levels since the Conservatives took power in 2010 – increasing by 40% since then.
The phenomenon has also become known as “ghost children”.
Severe absences – missing more than 50% of school days – have tripled since the same date.
Analysis by the party claims that one in three children sitting their GCSEs this year have missed nearly three months of secondary school since the pandemic.
Labour says it wants council-maintained lists of children not on school rolls.
The party is planning on using an opposition day to propose the legislation be heard on Wednesday 7 February.
Opposition days tend to be political and can be easily defeated by the government if it needs to utilise its majority – although the debates can prove sticky if centred on a controversial topic, as seen by the fracking vote which precipitated the collapse of Liz Truss’s premiership.
Labour has highlighted the backing of ministers and Tory MPs previously leant to creating such registers or lists.
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