Nearly a third of secondary pupils avoid school because of anxiety, says survey

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

- Denis Campbell

Across the UK, 28% of 12-to 18-yearolds 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.

The findings, in a survey undertaken for the youth mental health charity stem4, suggest that poor mental wellbeing is a major driver of the post-Covid surge in school absenteeism.

Dr Nihara Krause, the charity's founder, urged schools, the NHS and ministers to increase support for anxious and distressed under-18s because "emotionally based school avoidance" is leading to pupils being off for long periods, disrupting their education and putting huge strain on families.

"School and the challenges it sometimes poses can increase anxiety in some young people, making them feel overwhelmed and unable to cope.

"Emotionally based school avoidance is a very worrying growing phenomenon. It is different to school absence due to truancy. It is when a child or young person experiences extreme anxiety or distress relating to attending school. This fear can be so great that they avoid going to school."