SELF VALORIZATION; FOUR DAY WEEK
Study reveals lower school attendance on Fridays in England
Economists from the University of Bath believe that end-of week-absenteeism could be linked to beating bank holiday traffic.
University of Bath
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, the study 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:
- 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?
Dr Jonathan James, 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 National School Admission Registers & Log Books 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 Gunter and Makinson (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 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—perhaps 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."
Journal
British Educational Research Journal
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
The ‘Friday effect’: School attendance over the week†
Group of MPs issue call for four day week in
government department
John McDonnell, Clive Lewis and Ian Lavery are among those to sign the Early Day Motion
The MPs have all signed an Early Day Motion in parliament which argues that “a four-day week with no loss of pay could lead to increased productivity, while also bringing benefits to workers, employers, and wider society”.
The motion highlights the four day week trial in South Cambridgeshire District Council and claims that this “showed huge benefits, including cost savings, better staff retention, lower sickness rates and improvements in service delivery”.
The Early Day Motion comes off the back of a campaign from the PCS union to secure a trial four day week in DEFRA. Earlier this year, PCS said that DEFRA management had “agreed to work collaboratively to explore the idea of a four-day week”. However, the department is yet to to commit to implementing a pilot.
At the time of writing, 11 MPs have signed the Early Day Motion. The following MPs have added their names:
Clive Lewis – Labour
Ian Lavery – Labour
Andy McDonald – Labour
Liz Saville Roberts – Plaid Cymru
Kim Johnson – Labour
Ann Davies – Plaid Cymru
Ben Lake – Plaid Cymru
Llinos Medi – Plaid Cymru
Neil Duncan-Jordan – Labour
Jon Trickett – Labour
In 2023, the largest four day week trial in the UK concluded, with 56 out of the 61 organisations involved deciding to continue to operate on a four day week. The trial saw a significant decrease in the rates of stress and illness among workers who took part.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy of development at Left Foot Forward
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