October 21, 2026 - 204 views
School attendance in Wales remains significantly below levels recorded before the pandemic, with new figures showing more than one in four pupils had missed at least a tenth of their lessons during the 2024/25 academic year.
Clwyd MS Darren Millar has called on the Welsh Government to set out further action to address the problem, after provisional figures for 2025/26 showed average attendance had fallen to around 90.7 per cent by the end of the academic year.
The figures underline a continuing challenge for schools and families, although the Welsh Government cautions that the latest data is provisional and may be revised.
Official statistics show average attendance across maintained schools in Wales was 91.1 per cent in 2024/25, compared with 94.3 per cent in 2018/19, before the Covid pandemic.
The proportion of pupils classed as persistently absent — meaning they missed at least 10 per cent of school sessions — rose from 14.7 per cent in 2018/19 to 27 per cent in 2024/25.
The latest figures also highlight a significant gap between pupils from different backgrounds. In 2024/25, average attendance among pupils eligible for free school meals was 85.4 per cent, compared with 92.6 per cent for those who were not eligible.
Illness remains a major factor, accounting for 3.8 per cent of school sessions in 2024/25, up from three per cent before the pandemic. Attendance also tends to fall as pupils get older, with Year 11 pupils recording an average attendance rate of 86.8 per cent during 2024/25.
Mr Millar said the figures raised questions about what more could be done to get children back into the classroom.
He said: “The figure of more than 100,000 pupils missing at least 10% of lessons is a damning indictment of Wales’ education system. Every child deserves the chance to succeed, but they cannot do that if they are not in the classroom.
“The current provisional figures are deeply concerning, and the Welsh Government needs to explain why the situation is getting worse rather than better.
“Other parts of the UK are working to get children back into school and attendance rates are improving so why is Wales still struggling to tackle this problem?
“The Welsh Government must set out a clear plan to improve attendance, support families, and get children back into the classroom.”
Figures from England offer some evidence of improvement, although comparisons need to take account of differences in the way attendance data is collected and reported. The Department for Education reported that the overall absence rate in England fell from 7.15 per cent in 2023/24 to 6.78 per cent in 2024/25. The proportion of pupils persistently absent also fell, from 19.95 per cent to 18.14 per cent, although both measures remained above pre-pandemic levels.
The figures suggest that improving attendance is not simply a matter of setting targets. Schools and families may need to address a range of issues, including illness, additional learning needs, financial pressures and difficulties that can make regular attendance harder for some children.
The Welsh Government's attendance data also shows that the problem is not evenly distributed. More than half of pupils eligible for free school meals were persistently absent in 2024/25, compared with a considerably lower proportion among pupils who were not eligible.
The latest provisional figures for 2025/26 show average attendance at 90.7 per cent, compared with 90.9 per cent over the equivalent period in the previous academic year. The Welsh Government warns that figures collected during the year can change as schools update their records and more attendance data becomes available.
The challenge facing schools and policymakers is therefore twofold: reversing the longer-term decline in attendance while ensuring that children who are struggling to attend receive appropriate support.
Regular attendance is important for learning, social development and educational progress, but the figures also point to the need to understand why pupils are missing school and what practical help could make a difference.
