No Child Left Behind: Tackling the School Absenteeism Crisi

COVID pandemic-induced school closures hindered learning for young people around the world. Yet even today, many students across the OECD have failed to return to the classroom. Two-thirds of schools in the US are facing chronic absenteeism. In England, absences are 50% higher than before the pandemic, with more than one in five secondary pupils considered “persistently absent”, missing 10% or more of their hours of schooling. Even in Norway, which in the pre-pandemic era had successfully cut absenteeism by a quarter, four out of ten school principals are now very concerned about absenteeism in their school.

Addressing absenteeism necessitates a comprehensive approach, including identifying causes, providing support and fostering a positive school culture that prioritises attendance and engagement. In this webinar, we’ll talk to experts working to tackle the absenteeism crisis in communities. We’ll look at what we know and what knowledge gaps remain and explore effective policies and practices for a meaningful intervention to tackle the soaring number of children missing school.

Speakers include:

– Michael Gary Jr., Chief of Staff, Concentric Educational Solutions, United States
– Bjørn Lescher Nuland, Divisional director for competence development, Directorate of Education, Norway
– Áine O’Keeffe, Director, Tusla Education Support Service, Ireland
Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills, OECD

Moderated by Sasha Ramirez-Hughes, Communication Manager, Directorate for Education and Skills, OECD