The relative effect of pupil absenteeism on literacy and numeracy in the primary school

Abstract

ABSTRACT A literature search identified only 12 articles which had examined the relative effect of either attendance or absence on primary/elementary school children’s literacy and numeracy. However, with respect to the relative effect of both attendance and absence, no consistent picture emerged from the articles. Furthermore, for each of the articles, the conclusion about the relative effect was based on visual inspection of the relevant statistic. The second problem was overcome in the study presented in this article by using the British Ability Scales Word Reading and Basic Arithmetic scales to assess the literacy and numeracy of eleven-year-old Poor and Better Attenders. Significantly more of the former than the latter were found to have an arithmetic score significantly below their reading score. The article ends with a consideration of the implications of the study for the primary school teacher and of COVID-19 for the study’s findings.