How Virus Has Left Generation Of ‘Ghost' Pupils

Thousands of “ghost” children have simply disappeared from classrooms since Covid shut down schools, the education watchdog said.

- Sarah O’Grady

Chief inspector of schools Amanda Spielman said nearly all children fell behind and struggled with key skills as they endured a “hokey-cokey education”.

She said loneliness, boredom and misery became “endemic”, physical and mental health declined and many youngsters were sucked into gang violence and sexual exploitation.

Ms Spielman, who launched Ofsted’s annual report for the 2020-21 academic year yesterday, said of the vanishing pupils: “I’ve been talking about the problems of children disappearing from school rolls for some time now.

“We know how hard it became during the pandemic to work out who was still in the country and who was still taking part in school at all.