Claire Barrett

Good to speak to @mrjamesob @LBC yesterday on school non attendance, the difference between can’t not won’t go to school, and criminalising families. There is no data which evidences criminalising or fining families improves outcomes long term, particularly for the most marginalised and / or multiply disadvantaged. There is no research which demonstrates it builds relationships, bakes in trust or builds resilience and independence. But there is evidence which demonstrates punitive sanctions and heavy-handed involvement in families’ lives destroys trust, impacts development and identity / self efficacy, disables marriages and relationships, discriminates and stigmatises, creating declining results, escalating propensity of ill health, disengagement, vulnerability in terms of attainment, employment, contact with psychiatric and justice systems etc. The rhetoric of crackdowns on attendance and behaviour is the language of the last Government, which saw exponential rises in off-rolling kids from schools, exclusions, suspensions, absence, use of restraint, isolation and seclusion, non-elective home Ed, need for CAMHS, SEND; culture and practice which drove families and workforce away from schools and services. It is the language that will lose this Government voters, engagement and trust. Commodifying children in terms of earnings is not landing well with families and is increasing anxiety and disengagement with kids. 100% attendance targets does not work. Doomsday predictions do not incentive. It must stop. Why prime a system to work against itself? Madness and entirely unnecessary. There is always Another Way. Together.

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