Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 31
31
Accepted
Launch a public information campaign guiding parents on school attendance during illness.
Recommendation
We recommend the Department should launch a targeted public information campaign to guide parents on when and when not children who are unwell should attend school. Close working between the Department and the Department for Health and Social Care will be required to get this right, but it should aim to ensure that parents understand the types of illness, including coughs and colds, that should not require children in normal circumstances to miss school. (Paragraph 142) Barriers to attendance for certain pupil characteristics
Government Response Summary
The government welcomes the recommendation and has already launched a regional public information campaign, working with DHSC, providing guidance on children's school attendance during illness, with plans for a national rollout in January based on the regional campaign's success.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government welcomes this recommendation. The Department has already worked with the Department of Health and Social Care and its agencies to issue a letter signed by various professional health bodies – including the Chief Medical Officer – which is clear that where a child has a minor illness – such as a cough or cold – they are normally fine to be sent to school, provided they do not have a temperature.1 The letter gives a clear threshold of a temperature over 38 degrees for when a child should not attend. The advice also extends to mild to moderate anxiety, citing the fact that it is often normal for children to experience worrying feelings linked to exams, friendships, etc. and that being at school can serve to aid with anxiety, whilst being away from school might exacerbate it. Working with a creative agency partner, the Department has launched a regional paid-for comms campaign in two locations which focus on disseminating positive messages on attendance and offers clear guidance on mild illness/anxiety. The channels for communication spread across radio, static media, social media and local influencers. The Department will work with the local authorities and schools in the regions in order to maximise visibility of the materials while the campaign is running. Subject to the success of the regional campaign, The Department will seek to roll this out at a national level in January.