PERSISTENT ABSENCE

I’ve been scratching my head trying to figure out where this magical 440,000 figure came from which the DfE are quoting as the reduction in persistent absence…

…because that’s NOT what the official data shows!!

Read on to find out more…

🧵⬇️
Image
According to the latest DfE report, the number of persistently absent pupils decreased from:

▪️22.5% in 2021/22
= 1.64 million pupils

to

▪️21.2% in 2022/23
= 1.57 million pupils

That’s a reduction of just 70,000 pupils, NOT 440,000!

…e-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistic…
Image
The more important point that is rather glossed over here is that the persistent absence rate of 21.2% in 2022/23 is still nearly DOUBLE the pre-pandemic rate of 10.9%.

Hardly something to be boasting about! Image
But if the official DfE report states that just 70,000 fewer children have been persistently absent in 2022/23 compared to the previous year…

…why is the government quoting a reduction of 440,000 pupils, more than 6 times the official figure?!

We need to dig a little deeper… Image
Up until April 2022, an additional code was used in school registers:

▪️CODE X: “Not attending in circumstances related to COVID”.

Code X was used in the Autumn & Spring terms in 2021/22.

After April 2022, this code was no longer used for this purpose.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6329a77a…
Image
Prior to April 2022, Code X was used for children who were required to self-isolate (eg. due to close contact) but who did *not* have Covid themselves (those with Covid were recorded as Code I for illness).

Importantly: Code X is NOT counted as an absence in official figures. Image
Of course, if you include these Code X absences (which are NOT included in official figures), then the number of pupils who missed more than 10% of sessions in 2021/22 is considerably higher.

370,000 pupils higher to be exact. Image
You may notice a subtlety in the wording used here.

In the official report, they don’t describe these pupils as persistently absent, they refer to them as pupils who missed 10% or more sessions…

…because Code X absences DON’T count towards official persistent absence figures. Image
So there we are… mystery solved.

The way they arrived at the 440,000 reduction in pupils who are ‘persistently absent’ is by including Code X absences which are NOT officially counted as absences.

I don’t know about you, but this feels a little bit like cheating to me… Image
Now you may be wondering what’s causing all this persistent absence…

In 2022/23, the #1 driver of persistent absence in every age group was ILLNESS.

In fact, in primary schools, persistent absences due to ILLNESS accounted for OVER HALF of the total.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2023/11/persis…
Image
In 2022/23, persistent absences were highest in Autumn:

▪️Autumn: 24.2%
▪️Spring: 20.6%
▪️Summer: 23.9%

Let’s take a closer look at what was driving persistent absences that term.

▪️12.4% of persistent absences in Autumn 2022 were solely due to ILLNESS. Image
And yet, despite this, our education leaders stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that ILLNESS is the primary driver of the attendance crisis.

The narrative always focuses on truancy, anxiety, child mental health problems, loss of routine during lockdown, etc…
Yes, these do all play a part in the bigger picture.

But this narrative completely fails to address the elephant in the room.
 
The PRIMARY driver of the high rates of pupil absence is ILLNESS, as the data clearly shows.
 
But illness never even gets so much as a mention!
The simple truth is that we now have another highly infectious respiratory virus in the mix, namely Covid-19…

…so it’s really not surprising that we have more illness absence.

The graph below illustrates this point neatly (h/t @PaulMainwood). Image
Children are not being kept at home because they’re truanting…

…they’re staying home because they are genuinely ill & the government are doing absolutely NOTHING to stop it spreading!!

Just look at the comments on this recent mumsnet thread ⬇️

mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_bein…
Biorisk consultant @brownecfm articulates it perfectly in this succinct thread:

“With Covid in a state of constant and unmitigated transmission, children will be sick more often.”

“It’s literally that obvious.”

“If you don’t address Covid, you’re not addressing the problem.”
Image
It’s little wonder so many parents are furious about the government’s irresponsible attendance campaign which actively encourages parents to send sick children to school, as covered here in iNews by @AasmaDay.

🔗 inews.co.uk/news/education…
Image
This government attendance campaign is utterly counter-productive.

By having sick kids in school, it just spreads the illness to all the other children and teachers, meaning MORE kids and teachers end up sick.

This is a more succinct way of putting it by @drsimonwilliams ⬇️
Image
‘Covid’ may have become a taboo word, but we need to face up to the inconvenient truth that it’s making our kids sick… a LOT.

‘Living with Covid’ shouldn’t mean just ignoring it.

It should mean making environments as safe as possible to reduce the risk of infection.
UK schools are generally poorly ventilated, creating perfect conditions for disease transmission, especially in winter when windows are usually closed.

A CO₂ level ~800ppm indicates good ventilation.

Below are the horrifically high CO₂ levels for a typical UK classroom.
Image
Cleaning the air by improving ventilation & air filtration is a simple, low cost, non-intrusive measure that could HUGELY reduce the spread of Covid in schools.

And it doesn’t just work for Covid - it helps reduce transmission of ALL airborne pathogens - measles, flu, RSV etc.
Clean air in schools is not a restrictive mitigation; it’s an ENABLING mitigation.

It would allow our children to attend school with less risk, less illness, less absence.

And for clinically vulnerable children, it could even be a life-saver.

There’s no downside to clean air.
There’s a mountain of evidence that improving ventilation & air filtration can hugely reduce the spread of airborne illnesses:

▪️A study conducted at Addenbrooke’s hospital showed that air filters removed almost all traces of airborne Covid virus.

cam.ac.uk/research/news/…
▪️An Italian study showed that ventilation delivering 6 air changes per hour could reduce transmission of Covid by a massive 82%.

reuters.com/world/europe/i…
Image
▪️A Swiss study demonstrated that HEPA air filters delivering a clean air delivery rate of 5 air changes per hour (800m3/h) in a typical classroom led to a 5-fold decrease in the cumulative viral dose absorbed by exposed occupants.

smw.ch/index.php/smw/…
Image
▪️A study conducted in Bradford showed that Covid-related illness absence in schools was reduced by >20% when HEPA air filters were used in classrooms.

newscientist.com/article/239871
Image
If you’d like to see more research, here’s a link to a website which has collated 56 research studies from around the world which demonstrate the effectiveness of air filters at removing Covid from the air in different settings:



H/t @CarlvKeirsbilck medium.com/@carlvank/luch…
Of course, the government have quietly invested in clean air and installed state-of-the-art air filtration systems in the Houses of Parliament, Ministry of Defence and other government buildings.

purifiedair.com/case-studies/
Image
…and the Department for Education have recently equipped themselves with brand new enhanced air handling systems at their Westminster HQ.

willmottdixoninteriors.co.uk/news/the-moder…
Image
We don’t have to worry about the water we drink, because we invest in water treatment plants which filter & clean it to a high standard.

It’s just one of those things we accept as a given.

We wouldn’t drink dirty water, so why are we breathing dirty indoor air? Image
The Mayor of London @SadiqKhan recently announced that air filters are being installed in 200 London schools.

It’s a good start, but we need to go further.

EVERY child has the right to breathe clean indoor air.

EVERY classroom should have air filters.

bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan…
Image

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More from @_CatintheHat

May 22
“LONG COVID IS FUELLING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN CHILDREN”

🚨Nearly 40% of children with Long COVID reported anxiety or depression; half had no prior diagnosis.

🚨Mental health impact was comparable to that of serious chronic illnesses like cancer.

neurosciencenews.com/long-covid-chi…Image
Meanwhile, more than 500 children a day in England are being referred to NHS mental health services for anxiety, more than DOUBLE the pre-pandemic rate…

…and yet, the impact of repeated COVID infections on children is never even considered as a contributing factor. Image
There are so many studies about the detrimental impact that Covid has on the brain…

…how the brain inflammation can trigger neurological symptoms such as depression & anxiety.

I don’t understand why this is just being ignored by the mainstream media.

health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/…Image
Read 4 tweets
May 15
LONG COVID IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

🚨40% of the undergrad students reported brain fog due to COVID-19.

🚨37 % of the undergraduates exhibited impaired cognition up to 17 months post-infection.

🚨Brain fog appeared to affect the distinct prefrontal haemodynamic patterns. Image
This study was conducted by scientists at the University of Otago (NZ) who were looking to investigate the cognitive effects of COVID infection in a population highly representative of young adults: undergraduate university students.

Link to full study:
sciencedirect.com/science/articl…Image
A summary article about this worrying study can also be found here:

“New neuroscience research shows COVID-19 leaves mark on young adult brains” (Feb 2025)

psypost.org/new-neuroscien…Image
Read 4 tweets
Mar 15
Today, in honour of #LongCovidAwarenessDay, I’m sharing a series of short videos from Dr Rae Duncan (@Sunny_Rae1) about the ongoing impact of Long Covid.

1. WHAT IS LONG COVID?

Long Covid is a multi-systemic inflammatory condition that can affect almost every organ of the body.
2. WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPAL MECHANISMS & MANIFESTATIONS OF LONG COVID?

Dr Rae Duncan explains some of the key manifestations of Long Covid, including:

▪️immune-mediated issues

▪️abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system (the nerves which control things like our heart rate).
3. WHAT ARE THE MAIN SYMPTOMS OF LONG COVID?

Dr Rae Duncan discusses some of the most prevalent symptoms of Long Covid, such as fatigue and post-exertional malaise.

There are over 200 recognised symptoms of Long Covid though, so each patient may experience different symptoms.
Read 11 tweets
Feb 18
⚠️ IPC GUIDANCE

Newly-appointed Health Minister @AshleyDalton_MP has just responded to a question from MP @_Chris_Coghlan.

Chris asks when the NHS IPC manual will be updated to reflect the latest science on AIRBORNE transmission.

Let’s take a closer look at Ashley’s reply… Image
The key bit is highlighted in yellow here:

“Should new evidence emerge that warrants updates, the guidance will be reviewed & revised accordingly by NHS England & UKHSA to ensure the highest standards of infection prevention & control are maintained across healthcare settings.” Image
Well @AshleyDalton_MP, new evidence HAS emerged.

It’s not even new news as we’ve known about it since 2020!

There’s not a single credible scientist who still denies that Covid is transmitted via the AIRBORNE route.

Please listen to independent expert witness Prof Beggs here ⬇️
Read 27 tweets
Feb 15
I wonder why so many people who’ve had Covid might be suffering with ‘anxiety’ 🤔

Hmmmm, let me think…

Could it be because Covid infections cause brain inflammation which triggers a plethora of neurological symptoms, including depression, anxiety & cognitive dysfunction?
The symptom may be ‘anxiety’ but this can often be the first sign of underlying neurological damage caused by COVID infections.

Patients affected may also be struggling with cognitive dysfunction, memory problems, difficulty concentrating etc.

This video helps explain why ⬇️
Here’s a fascinating post from neuroscientist @DaniBeckman which explains a little more about the damage that COVID can cause within the brain, disrupting neuronal circuits and contributing to neuronal loss. Image
Read 6 tweets
Feb 13
“WHY ARE YOU STILL MASKING?”

The folks at the @TheWHN have put together a really excellent set of science-based answers to various questions about why you’re still wearing a mask.

(Even if you’re not still masking, you might be interested in the answers).

Let’s take a look…🧵 Image
1. “Isn’t the pandemic over?”

Short Answer: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the emergency phase over, but that doesn’t mean the pandemic itself has ended.

(h/t @TheWHN) Image
2. “But you’re not high-risk, so why bother wearing a mask?”

Short Answer: Because preventing transmission matters for everyone, not just people in vulnerable groups.

(h/t @TheWHN) Image
Read 12 tweets

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