麻豆淫院

Economists from the University of Bath have found a significantly lower school attendance rates on Fridays across England, with a 20% higher absence rate compared to other weekdays.

The "Friday" effect highlights children are much less likely to attend primary and secondary school at the end of the week.

Published in the British Educational Research Journal, used daily level attendance data at local authority level collected by the Department for Education (DfE) from the beginning of the academic year 2022/2023.

Key findings include:

• Absence rates are 17% higher on Fridays compared to the rest of the week in primary schools.
• Absence rates are 22% higher on Fridays compared to the rest of the week in secondary schools.
• Overall, absence rates are 20% higher on Fridays, compared to the rest of the week, across all schools in England. To put this into context, eliminating this 'Friday effect' (i.e. setting the Friday absence rate to that of the Monday to Thursday) could mean around 130,000 more students attending school each Friday.
• The "Friday effect" is more pronounced in areas with higher levels of deprivation.

Why is there a Friday effect?

, from the Department of Economics, explains the possible reasons behind this trend:

We found no evidence to suggest that parents working from home are driving the higher absence rates on Fridays. We also rule out strikes. However, our research indicates that Friday absences are more common in weeks leading up to bank holidays or half-term breaks, suggesting that families might be extending their holidays or trying to avoid holiday traffic Addressing these patterns could reduce the effect by one-third to a half.

This is the first study to highlight a "Friday effect" in school attendance, but Dr. James believes it's not a new issue. While examining from 1870 to 1914, Dr. James found a note from Merrow Church of England School in Surrey, dated 1899, which stated: "Of late, several children have absented themselves on Friday."

Recent data supports the idea that "The Friday effect" has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. A study by from 2023 looked at data from 6,000 schools and found that Friday absences in secondary schools used to be lower compared to the rest of the week. In the 2013/14 school year, Friday absences were 0.7 % lower than the weekly average. By the 2018/19 school year, this had flipped, with Friday absences being 0.9% higher. This gap widened even further by 2022/23, with Friday absences being 1.4% higher than the weekly average.

Dr. James said, "There might be a cultural aspect to this鈥攑erhaps there's less stigma about taking Fridays off now. With the cost of living crisis, people may be more understanding of the financial pressures families face, such as the high cost of holidays. However, we do not yet have concrete evidence to fully support this hypothesis."

Why does it matter?

The researchers think addressing the "Friday effect" could improve students' academic performance and even their future earnings. Co-author Dr. Joanna Clifton-Sprigg said, "Tackling these patterns of weekly absences can help raise attainment levels and reduce educational inequalities."

The University of Bath research team hopes these findings will inform policies aimed at reducing school absences. Dr. Clifton-Sprigg added, "Simple measures like sending newsletters, emails, or text messages to remind parents of the negative impact of absences on academic performance could be effective. Additionally, schools might consider scheduling engaging activities on Fridays, such as award ceremonies, to boost attendance."