We need to understand why a situation has turned out the way it has to be able to identify with the reasons behind a person’s choices. We are naturally disposed to find comfort and understanding in a beginning, a middle and an end. I was reminded of that this month, when reading the Scottish Government’s school attendance and absentee statistics, which found that 31 per cent of students were “persistently absent” from classes. There are many ways to look at this figure, which is a shocking one.... Read this story
