Nearly a third of UK secondary pupils avoid school due to anxiety, survey finds

Across the UK, 28% of 12- to 18-year-olds have not attended school over the last year because of anxiety. Photograph: Peter Lopeman/Alamy

Almost three in 10 secondary pupils are avoiding going to school because doing so would make them anxious, a new survey has found.

Across the UK, 28% of 12 to 18-year-olds have not attended school over the last year for that reason, with experts warning that many stayed away because they would have felt unable to cope.