Absent mark for taking siblings to school 'unfair'
PA MediaYoung carers are being marked as absent "unfairly" because they are arriving late at school after dropping off siblings, a headteacher has said.
Four areas in the north-east of England, including Newcastle and Sunderland, have the highest rate of school absences in the country, according to the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.
Mark Tilling, head teacher at Hartlepool's High Tunstall College of Science, said it was unfair to mark child carers as absent because they had responsibilities such as helping a disabled parent "get out of bed".
The Department for Education (DfE) said it had inherited a "crisis" but it was "laser-focused on tackling the problem".
Analysis of DfE figures by the powerhouse partnership found that the top nine areas for unauthorised absence were in the North, with Hartlepool and Middlesbrough also featuring.
The analysis ranked Newcastle third in the country with an unauthorised absence rate of 5.3% - almost double the national average of 2.9%.
Hartlepool and Middlesbrough both had figures of 5.2%, while Sunderland was seventh with 4.8%.
'Getting punished'
Mr Tilling said despite the area's high absence figures, attendance rates were above the national average.
He said changes to attendance guidance had created an unfair system.
He said: "If you've got a person that has caring responsibilities like taking their sibling to school or helping get a parent out of bed, the rules on attendance now mean if they arrive half an hour after registration, they're given a U grade for unauthorised absence."
He said the reality was that these "absent" pupils were at school most of the day.
"Their childhood is complex enough, they're saving the state a fortune in terms of caring, and then they're getting punished for being late - that's not fair on those young people," Mr Tilling added.
Northern Powerhouse Partnership chief executive Henri Murison said the figures were indicative of high levels of deprivation and an educational North-South divide.
He said: "We need to invest more in the larger schools that teach poorer kids.
"We need to bring back more locally-led approach, in parts of the North East, the answers to these problems will be different.
"We know that school leaders across the region often know best how to spend the money."
A spokesperson for the DfE said: "Tackling the epidemic of school absence is everyone's responsibility - government, schools, parents, and children. We need a national effort to get our kids back in the classroom.
"Persistent absence has improved this autumn term, with thanks to the hard work of schools and parents, but there are still far too many children missing school.
"This government inherited an absence crisis but we remain laser-focused on tackling the problem, ensuring attendance remains a key focus of school inspections."
The spokesperson added this would be achieved by providing mental health professionals to all schools and reforming the special educational needs and disabilities system so "every child thrives in school".