West Midlands pupils facing hygiene poverty missing school
It's after an increase of more young people facing the issue.
As West Midlands pupils prepare to return to school post summer holidays, new research has uncovered a disturbing and growing crisis in UK schools, children are being forced to miss school simply because they lack access to basic hygiene essentials.
New research with primary and secondary state-school teachers, commissioned by household challenger brand smol, with support from national charity, The Hygiene Bank, reveals that hygiene poverty is leading to significant absenteeism, social exclusion, and long-term emotional damage for UK school children.
Teachers estimate nearly three million children in the UK are experiencing, or have experienced, hygiene poverty, with pupils missing an average of 6.5 school days per year as a direct result, equating to over 23 million lost learning days annually.
Almost a third of West Midlands teachers say they're aware of students facing hygiene poverty. Along with more than a quarter of teachers report that children in their schools have missed 4–6 days of learning in a year due to hygiene poverty, while over a fifth say pupils have missed 1–3 days.