Odense pilot brings parents of school-absent children together

A new pilot project in Odense is bringing together parents of children with high school absence, DR reports. The network gives them a place to meet and discuss their challenges.

Some children become ill at the thought of going to school, experiencing physical symptoms such as stomach or headaches, or psychological symptoms such as anxiety and panic.

Katja Birch Nielsen attended the network’s first meeting and said she was looking forward to meeting other parents in a similar situation.

Her daughter has been signed off school for the past three years. She should have started ninth grade, but has been absent since the middle of fifth grade.

“Our stories are all very different. There are many different experiences and challenges, but what we have in common is that our children do not go to school,” Birch Nielsen said.

She said meeting other parents who were experiencing the same thing could make a major difference.

“It can be comforting, because then you do not feel alone,” she said. “I have asked myself many times: ‘Why do I have to go through this?’ But there is no formula for who is affected.”

Seventeen parents attended the first meeting in Odense. The meetings are facilitated by Skole og Forældre, a national organisation for schools and parents.

Lotte Wibe, head of the organisation’s advisers, said parents of children who are struggling at school and may not attend can feel very isolated.

“We speak to a couple of thousand parents every year, and many tell us that having a child who is not thriving and perhaps does not go to school can be very lonely,” Wibe said.

She said in-person meetings were needed for both children and adults, adding that talking through a screen was not enough for many parents.

The organisation hopes the network will eventually lead to informal coffee meetings between parents and playdates for the children.

Birch Nielsen said she also hoped to meet other parents outside the network and see a positive development over time.

Parent advisers will attend each meeting to provide information about issues related to school absence.