Why aren’t we using tech to keep vulnerable children in school?

20 March 2025, 17:34 | Updated: 20 March 2025, 21:06

With more children missing school in the UK than ever before, we need to tackle the root cause, not just monitor how it evolves. Without real action, we risk creating a ‘lost generation.'

The solution to absenteeism isn’t more laws to track where children go when they leave school. It’s often about actually repairing the relationship between children, parents, and schools, and offering the most vulnerable children—those at risk of skipping school, being excluded, or falling off the radar—real alternative education options.

This is where technology can make a real-life impact. If the UK wants to be a tech superpower, we must investigate the use of tech to solve real problems in the education system.

Here’s the thing: children missed 11.5 million days of learning in the autumn term of 2023/24 due to suspensions and absences. That is nearly a 70% increase over five years. If we look at secondary schools, 20% of students in the 2023/24 academic year were persistently absent, meaning they missed 10% or more of the school year - about half a day each week. And it’s the most vulnerable pupils who are driving these numbers.

During the pandemic, schools turned to technology to enable remote learning – so why not build on that? Technology has the unique ability to make lessons more inclusive, no matter where they take place – whether in the classroom or at home. For example, children who struggle with social settings can still participate from home, and vulnerable pupils who find traditional school environments overwhelming can benefit from small adjustments that prevent them from being excluded.

Similarly, children who miss school due to illness often end up in a vicious cycle, with limited access to catch-up resources. How about we standardise tech – like AI tutors that can provide personalised lessons – to fix this? And crucially, how about we use technology to make it easier for vulnerable families to communicate with schools, helping to make these relationships feel less daunting to navigate? The possibilities for tailoring solutions to each child's needs with the right use of technology are endless.

In 2025, no child should be left behind, and technology can be the key to ensuring they aren’t.

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Mel Parker is an Educational Technologist at RM Technology.

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