Unauthorised absence at Hermitage Academy has more than doubled over a four-year period, a new report has revealed.
But the Helensburgh school’s headteacher said the figures were typical for Scotland, praising school’s counselling service as pupils continue to recover from the effects of Covid-19.
Douglas Morgan, who took over as acting head teacher at Hermitage in 2021 before landing the job permanently the next year, said fellow head teachers in other areas were ‘blown away’ by his reports of Argyll and Bute Council’s school counselling service.
Mr Morgan, and depute head Mhairi Stewart, addressed members of the council’s Helensburgh and Lomond area committee on Tuesday.
Cllr MacQuire highlighted the increased absences between the 2017/18 and 2021/22 academic years and asked Mr Morgan if there was any reason.
Mr Morgan replied: “It is something that schools across the country have seen coming out of Covid. There is an increase in unauthorised absence.
“It is important that schools build up relationships with parents and carers at home. They are the ones sending young people to school and we are right there.
“This is so that we can have that package of support around our young people. Maybe they have been a bit more vulnerable coming out of Covid; it has certainly had an impact.”
Cllr Math Campbell-Sturgess then asked: “What is the way of tackling absences relating to mental health? When I was at school, unauthorised absence meant somebody knocking the door.
“I know you do not do that, but what are you doing to tackle unauthorised absence and find out why young people are not there, and to get them back to school?”
Mr Morgan said: “The proactive way is to make teaching exciting so that young people want to come to school, and making achievement opportunities really ambitions so that they feel part of the community. We also ensure that pupils’ voices are front and centre of everything.
“If an issue becomes longer term, maybe guidance staff do not have the expertise. We are really fortunate with the introduction of the counselling service.
“I have friends who are headteachers in other local authorities, and when I tell them about the counselling service we have, they are blown away by it.
“It is about working in partnership for whatever that young person might need, and I think it is something we and the primary schools do really well.”
And that’s just the teachers