School Avoidance Is Rising But It’s More Than Just “Refusal”.

School absence isn’t new, but the landscape has shifted. The COVID-19 pandemic changed many things for many people and school attendance is no exception. 

Attendance rates are falling and the number of children classed as persistently absent is rising. In England, persistent absences have nearly doubled from 10.9% in 2018/19 to nearly 20% in the last academic year. That means one in five pupils now misses at least 10% of school sessions. In Ireland, primary and post-primary schools are seeing the highest absence rates in over a decade. 

The pressure is mounting on schools, families and most importantly, students. 

Reframing the Language: From “Refusal” to Emotionally Based School Avoidance 

As educators and parents, we often ask: 

“What can we do?” 
“How can we help?” 
“Why won’t they go to school?” 

But if we reframe that last question slightly, it can help us answer the first two. Maybe if instead of asking,  

“Why won’t they go to school?”  

Let’s ask “Why can’t they go to school?” 

That small change in language opens up a different, more compassionate line of thinking. Many students labeled as "school refusers" aren't making a conscious choice to stay away, they’re struggling with underlying emotional distress. 

Let’s reframe this as Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) this change of language on our part might help us think about the causes, rather than the outcomes. As the late, great Archbishop Desmond Tutu said: 

"There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they're falling in." 

What Causes Emotionally Based School Avoidance?

EBSA doesn’t have one root cause. It’s complex, often involving: 

• Mental health challenges, including anxiety and depression 

• Unmet additional learning needs 

• Trauma, including post-pandemic impacts 

• Sensory overload in school environments 

• Eroded trust in school as a safe or supportive place 

The pandemic caused a perfect storm to amplify these factors intensifying known risks of going to school around transmission of illness and infections, whilst also normalising staying home and eroding children’s tolerance of school routines and expectations.  

When returning to this environment which in comparison to home is louder, busier and more intense, it is easy to see why that feeling of safety is more prevalent at home.  

These children aren’t choosing or refusing to feel safe, in the same way an adult doesn’t choose or refuse to feel safe walking home alone at night in the dark in an unfamiliar area.  

Supporting Students Starts With Understanding 

The first step in addressing EBSA is to change or reframe our thought process. While there’s no quick fix, schools can begin to respond differently by: 

• Training staff to understand EBSA as a mental health or anxiety-based issue 

• Creating psychologically safe environments where all students feel seen and supported 

• Recognising early warning signs and reducing common triggers 

• Modeling and teaching co-regulation, rather than escalating distress 

This approach isn’t a “soft” option, it’s long-term, strategic thinking. A student in distress is unlikely to respond to rigid systems, automated letters or fines. But they will respond to: 

• Trust 

• Consistency 

• Empathy 

• Predictability 

• Calm, regulated adults