Government Data Show Unauthorised School Absences Rise, Nearly Double Pre-Pandemic Rate

Unauthorised absences rose from 2.1 percent in 2021/22 to 2.4 percent in 2022/23, nearly double the rate (1.4 percent) during 2018/19, before the lockdowns.

Children walk home from Altrincham C.E. aided primary school after the government's policy to close all schools from today owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Altrincham, UK, on March 20, 2020. Clive Brunskill /Getty Images

The number of unauthorised absences from schools in England increased last year and is nearly double the rate from before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to government figures.

Data released from the Department for Education (DfE) on Thursday show that unauthorised absences rose from 2.1 percent in school year 2021/22 to 2.4 percent in 2022/23.