Following the pandemic, school attendance in the United States has still not returned to pre-COVID levels. While chronic absenteeism was once mainly observed among students from socioeconomically disadvantaged families, it has now become widespread even among children from successful and well-off households.
According to The Hechinger Report, cited by “Tehsil365”, research shows that during the pandemic years, students became accustomed to learning from home, and regular school attendance no longer seems as essential to them as it once did. Moreover, many families are keeping their children out of school not only due to illness but also for other reasons — such as family trips or vacations.
Experts warn that this trend is negatively impacting the quality of education and could have serious long-term consequences. In response, schools in many U.S. states are developing new strategies to combat absenteeism.