School absences have ‘exploded’ almost everywhere

Perceived Causes of Rising Absenteeism

• Many see COVID-era messaging (“Zoom school is fine”) as having normalized the idea that in-person attendance is optional.
• Parents increasingly pull kids for travel, special events, or “not feeling like it,” even in affluent families.
• Some argue a subset of parents are disengaged, overburdened, or assume schools will provide all structure.
• Others emphasize students’ poor motivation: boredom, bullying, school violence, and a sense that school offers little value or future payoff.

COVID, Remote Learning, and New Norms

• Remote learning showed some kids can thrive at home and that institutions can flex, altering expectations about daily presence.
• For teachers and engaged parents, the pandemic revealed how little actual instruction sometimes happens, eroding trust in schools.
• Some liken this to remote work: once the “curtain was pulled back,” a return to rigid attendance feels arbitrary.

Illness, Health Policy, and Long-Term Effects

• Post-COVID, parents are more cautious about sending mildly sick kids, while schools still pressure attendance.
• Several report far more frequent child illness since masking ended; others attribute absenteeism more to norms than disease.
• Some cite long COVID and immune-system impacts as a major hidden driver; others are skeptical and see “kids get sick a lot” as normal.

Parents, Poverty, and Responsibility

• Strong disagreement over blame: some place it squarely on parents who don’t enforce school; others point to poverty, stress, and hard-to-manage kids.
• Debate over punitive approaches (fines, CPS, tying aid to attendance) vs. support (better childcare, mental health, social programs).

School Design, Relevance, and Student Experience

• Many critique early start times, long days, standardized testing, and “daycare plus test prep” as misaligned with learning and child development.
• Homework is contested: some want more to build discipline; others cite research or experience that it adds stress without gains.
• Several argue curriculum overemphasizes trivia and underemphasizes critical thinking, crafts, life skills, and student interests.

Proposed Reforms and Alternatives

• Ideas include: later start times, more physical activity, ability grouping, remedial tracks, national remote curricula for absentees, and higher teacher pay.
• Homeschooling, Montessori, and alternative pedagogies are discussed as escapes from what some call a “prison-like” or politicized system.