Parents in Wales are struggling to afford to send their children to school due to soaring living costs, a new report has claimed. Rising costs of travel, uniforms, equipment and school trips are all having an impact on attendance, according to new research published by the Senedd’s Children, Young People and Education Committee on Monday.
The report heard concerning evidence from parents about the impact of costs on school terms including one pupil who could not attend exams after being unable to afford a private bus when rising fuel costs halted school bus services. It comes just weeks after new data showed huge numbers of children in Wales are still missing school this term. The Welsh Government stats showed pupils in crucial GCSE exam years 10 and 11 and those eligible for free school meals are the most likely to be off this term. You can read more about that here.
However, while it noted Welsh Government data which showed average non-Covid related absenteeism from schools was higher than overall absence prior to the pandemic, the report said comparing the figures was difficult due to changes in how absences were measured being introduced in the past two years.
