Coronavirus and schools: Ditch truancy fines, say doctors
As the first pupils in England return to school, psychiatrists say truancy fines should be dropped amid a Covid-related spike in mental health issues.
School attendance during the summer term, for those pupils who were in year groups that were allowed to return to lessons, had remained optional, with parents reassured by the government that the usual truancy fines would not be applied. She described how those suffering from anxiety can have terrifying thoughts that prevent them from functioning in a normal way.
Anxiety could lead to diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps and other conditions that make it difficult to function physically and attend schools, she added.She said:"Services have seen far more children in crisis, there's far less support around and we do know there are far more families under financial and other stresses."
It adds:"The threat of fines could force parents of children who feel anxious to send them back to school even if they're not ready.
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