A YORK MP said that many school pupils are "not getting the education they deserve" following the release of absence data for primary and secondary schools in the city.

As reported by The Press, new figures show that one in eight primary school pupils in York were persistently absent this year, as rates remain high after the Covid-19 pandemic.

York Central MP, Rachael Maskell, said that children are being "failed by the system" and that more needs to be done to ensure that parents and pupils feel supported to help lower the number of pupils that are persistently absent from school.

Ms Maskell said: "There are a variety of reasons why a young person may not be able to attend school, ranging from physical and mental health challenges, family circumstances, not being able to access the curriculum, or it may be the actual school sensory environment.

"Parents of children that are struggling with attendance should not have to battle the system to make sure their child's needs are met so that they feel supported, safe and happy in school.

"We know from education leaders across the city that rising challenges in the school environment have been severely compounded by the Government’s slashing of education budgets.

"I am really concerned that teaching assistants, who often provide significant support to children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), are significantly underpaid - and this has been compounded by cuts to their employment terms from 52 week contracts to term-time only contracts. Schools across the city need to value their entire staff."

"The cuts to our vital public services has meant that for scores of children, they are not able to access their education because they are unable to access the support they need to do so. When we look deeper into the data, it is also children who are the most vulnerable in society or who are from disadvantaged backgrounds that are more likely to be persistently absent from school.

"Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) are scandalously under-resourced with many children waiting years to get the diagnosis and support they require to access education and support.

“Going forward, it is absolutely essential that decision makers look at a whole revolution of our education and health systems, ensuring they are properly resourced so that school is a place that can work for all our children and young people."

Education secretary Gillian Keegan said the Government is supporting parents and teachers year-round to make sure children are in classrooms and ready to learn - from attendance mentors and school staff giving direct support to children and families, to the Holiday Activity and Food programmes running over summer and helping prepare children for school in September.