Explained: Ghost Children
Author: Olaf Pajak
Olaf joined Yipiyap in September 2024; his work includes tutoring at Cottingham High in Hull and writing scripts for our Peerscroller team!
As elusive as the phantoms of pop-culture, ghost children present an issue that often goes under the radar of educators and institutions alike.
Though this isn’t an official term, the Department for Education recognises ghost children as either children of school age who are not registered pupils at a school (and not receiving any alternative provisions, such as home schooling), or those who are persistently absent.
It comes as no surprise to any of us that attendance is pivotal for a child’s academic achievement and wider prospects. It has become axiomatic that children who are engaged in their education are more likely to achieve academically, develop social skills integral to their personal and professional lives, as well as build confidence in order to adequately face the real world.
If we’re going to stop our classrooms becoming ghost towns, we must delve into the reasons why this phenomenon occurs in the first place.
The Pandemic’s Role in Creating Ghost Children
As one can imagine, the reasons for persistent absence vary from pupil to pupil. However, the ghost child phenomenon is primarily a manifestation of the disastrous effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although the international lockdowns have subsided, their aftermath is still felt today. Nearly four years after businesses and schools finally reopened their doors, some students are yet to return.
Education in the lockdown era was disjointed - individual schools and teachers scrambled how they’d maintain continuity of support. This was of course punctuated by the fact that face-to-face schooling was impossible, as well as the general low morale across all industries. The result was students receiving very different levels of support while being stuck at home and isolated from vital social interactions.
In line with trends across education as a whole, the socioeconomically disadvantaged demographic suffers the most from persistent absence, with 37% of free-school-meal-eligible (FSM) children classified this way, compared to only 18% of those without access to FSM.
The Consequences of Persistent Absenteeism
The fact of the matter is that, whatever the reasons may be, as educators we are in no position to change the past. It is, however, our responsibility to address the consequences. So what exactly are the consequences? And how do we deal with them?
The images conjured forth by the ‘ghost children’ moniker are those of lost souls wandering aimlessly. This is exactly what transpires, as without a solid educational foundation, students are left without a sense of direction.
The most pressing derivative problem of the ghost children phenomenon is the narrowing of legitimate opportunities available to young people. Persistent absence leads to worse grades (or in some cases, no grades whatsoever as students may have not attended final exams, be it SATs, GSCEs or A-Levels), which in turn leads to lesser career prospects and a greatly increased chance of becoming NEET (not in education, employment, or training).
Ghost Children: How Do We Bring Them Back?
As educators, it is natural for us to want to safeguard children. Preventing students from losing their forward momentum and ending up in the doldrums of NEET-hood is a top priority.
This is the responsibility of not only teachers, but parents and local authorities and even the national government alike, to focus on managing the enrolment and attendance of school-age children. It is vital that we strive towards an interdisciplinary, united front if we want to see real, quantifiable change.
In 2024, the government introduced new regulations to improve attendance through sharing daily registers with trusts, local councils, as well as the Department for Education. This new attendance database allows for early interventions to be conducted easily by local authorities, as well as providing a better look at the progress of any other approaches laid down by the government.
The effects of this have yet to be felt however, as meaningful change takes time.
Within schools, we must not only focus on academic performance, but also the emotional and social wellbeing of students. For example, the Wellbeing for Education Recovery and Return programmes developed by the Anna Freud Centre aimed to provide educators with the knowledge and skills to better support young people facing acute mental health challenges such as stress and anxiety.
The issue of ghost children remains a salient challenge for educators. The pandemic has highlighted deep-seated issues in the UK education system, particularly around inequalities in access to education and support. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds, those with special educational needs, and those living in areas with higher levels of deprivation are still more likely to experience persistent absenteeism.
The government has acknowledged the need for continued action, and various measures are still being refined or expanded to address this ongoing issue. It is clear that long-term, systemic change is required to ensure all children are given the opportunity to succeed and to prevent the phenomenon of ghost children from becoming entrenched in society.
By focusing on early intervention, offering targeted support for vulnerable students, and promoting a culture of inclusivity and understanding within schools, we can start to see a shift. Ghost children should no longer be the unseen victims of an unequal system; instead, they should be seen, heard, and supported as they work towards a brighter future.
Sources
(1) Department for Education. (2023, September 28). Why is school attendance important and what support is available? – The Education Hub. Blog.gov.uk. https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/09/what-are-ghost-children-and-why-is-school-attendance-important/
(2) Centre for Social Justice. (2022, January 30). Lost but not forgotten. The Centre for Social Justice. https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/library/lost-but-not-forgotten
(3) Department for Education. (2024, February 29). New regulations for schools in next stage of attendance drive. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-regulations-for-schools-in-next-stage-of-attendance-drive
(4) Department for Education. (2022, February 8). What we are doing to improve the mental health of children and young people – The Education Hub. Blog.gov.uk. https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2022/02/what-we-are-doing-to-improve-the-mental-health-of-children-and-young-people/