Following on from his regular roundtable with Darlington Head Teachers, Peter Gibson MP has today raised the issue of school attendance at Business Questions in the House of Commons.
School attendance still lags behind pre-pandemic levels, and Darlington Head Teachers raised their concerns with Mr Gibson, outlining that schools are now having to divert resources from teaching into getting kids out of bed and into the classroom.
Speaking during Business Questions, Mr Gibson highlighted that education is key to social mobility, and asked the Leader of the House to organise an urgent debate on school attendance.
Responding to Mr Gibson, Penny Mordaunt MP, Leader of the House of Commons, outlined that school attendance is a priority for the Government. She went on to outline that the Education Committee is carrying out an inquiry into persistent school absence, highlighting that the Secretary of State for Education is due to give evidence to that inquiry soon.
Speaking about school attendance, Mr Gibson said “Education is key to a child’s future, I am determined that every child in Darlington should have the best start in life. Therefore, school attendance remaining below pre-pandemic levels is off deep concern.
“I will continue to press Ministers on this issue and work with schools in Darlington to ensure we do all we can to bring attendance levels back up, so that no child is left behind.”
