Thousands of children are regularly missing school in Greenwich due to being disengaged, but what is the answer?

Across the country, absence rates have increased over each of the last two years, following several years of general improvement.

The National Education Union said that the “exam factory culture” in schools is causing disengagement among pupils.

Department for Education numbers show that 14 per cent of state secondary pupils in Greenwich were classed as persistently absent in the autumn 2017 and spring 2018 terms, meaning they missed at least one in ten classes.

When primary schools in the area are included, 11 per cent of pupils across the 78 state schools were persistently absent.

Authorised absences, such as for illness or medical appointments, accounted for 63 per cent of time off.

The remainder was unauthorised, including truancy and family holidays for which permission was not granted.

In total, Greenwich's state schools lost 178,000 days of teaching during the two terms.

A DfE spokesman said: “No child should be taken out of school without good reason, children only get one chance at an education and evidence shows that every extra day of school missed can affect a pupil’s chances of achieving good GCSEs.

"While the number of absences has risen slightly, they are still far below the rate seen in schools ten years ago.

"The rules on term-time absences are clear and we have put schools back in control by supporting them – and local authorities – to use their powers to deal with unauthorised absence."

Local councils can impose fines of £60 on parents who fail to ensure their children's attendance at school, rising to £120 if not paid within 21 days.

But what is the solution? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook.