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The pandemic disrupted schooling everywhere. But since then record numbers of children have not returned to regular schooling. Data from the Department for Education show that persistent absence - missing roughly seven days a term - is now at a record high. So is this a blip affecting a Covid cohort or a worrying trend toward a breakdown in the social contract between society and school?

David Aaronovitch talks to:

Branwen Jeffreys, BBC\\u2019s Education Editor\\nKatie Beynon, Statistician at FFT Education Datalab\\nSam Freedman, Senior fellow at the Institute for Government \\nEmily Hunt, Associate Director Social Mobility and Vulnerable Learners at the Education Institute Policy

Produced by: Kirsteen Knight, Sam Haque and Claire Bowes\\nEdited by: Richard Vadon\\nSound engineer: Rod Farquhar\\nProduction co-ordinator: Debbie Richford and Sophie Hill.