Why More and More Children Are Not Going to School and How We Address It

The research pays special attention to the groups where staying home occurs most frequently.

Key Conclusions

• More home sitters are found among children with psychological complaints, 5- and 6-year-olds, and 16- and 17-year-olds in vocational education than in other groups.
• Twenty-four percent of the 821 home-sitting children and youth suffer from psychological complaints such as anxiety, trauma, or depression.
• The causes of staying home often lie in the home situation, neurodivergence, and the (social) safety situation at school.

Approach for 5- and 6-year-olds who stay home

Twelve percent of the children who stay home are 5 or 6 years old. Many of these children need extra care or help with their development. For them, we provide extra places in special educational care groups. Currently, there are 11 of these groups. Our goal is to nearly double this to 21 groups by summer 2026.

Approach for 16- and 17-year-olds in vocational education

The research shows that 364 of the 16- and 17-year-olds in vocational education have stayed home for one month or longer. Many of them are waiting for a new start at school, often because they made a wrong study choice or temporarily lack motivation to learn. To guide these students, we started a special vocational education compulsory attendance team this school year. There are also transition coaches to help students with their transition from secondary education to vocational education.

Approach for students in international transition classes

Students in international transition classes and unaccompanied minor refugees often have difficulties at school. They often have a flight or migration background, language deficits, trauma, and a difficult home situation. This increases the risk of truancy and early school leaving. Special compulsory attendance officers are now available for these students.