Robots Substitute for Anxious Students in UK Classrooms

Councils across the United Kingdom are purchasing thousands of advanced robots, priced at £3,500 each, to represent schoolchildren who are too anxious to attend physical classes. These robots, known as AV1, allow students to join lessons remotely, seeing, hearing, and speaking to their classmates and teachers through a dedicated app. More than 2,000 of these robots are currently in use nationwide.

The AV1 robot is being deployed for children experiencing 'emotionally based school avoidance' (EBSA), a condition characterized by chronic refusal to attend school due to anxiety. Teachers position the robot on the student's usual desk, facilitating their participation in classroom activities as if they were physically present. The pupil at home can respond to questions and even control the robot's head movement to look around the classroom by swiping their app screen. A 'whisper mode' allows for quiet communication with a nearby classmate, separate from the general classroom audio.

The camera on the AV1 robot is one-way, meaning the student at home can observe and listen to the lesson without being visible to the class. This technology was originally developed by the Norwegian firm No Isolation to help hospitalized children stay connected to their education.

Devon County Council, for example, acquired 16 AV1 robots last year for pupils struggling with absence due to 'worry, anxiety and overwhelm.' This authority is among at least 80 that have adopted the AV1 since the UK's Department for Education first commissioned its use in 2019. The robots are being utilized for EBSA pupils in various regions, including Somerset, Dorset, and parts of London such as Haringey and Islington.

Schools are reporting positive outcomes. Moulsham High School in Chelmsford, Essex, which uses 20 AV1 robots, shared testimonials from students. One Year 11 pupil stated that the robot was instrumental in their ability to keep up with coursework during a period of absence due to anxiety, and ultimately helped them reintegrate into daily school attendance. A deputy headteacher at the school described the AV1 as a 'tried and tested method' that has become an integral part of the school's support system.

The adoption of these robots comes amid rising concerns about school absenteeism. The number of severely absent pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs has more than tripled in six years, reaching 27,442. A record 151,000 pupils missed at least half of their schooling last year, a significant increase from the pre-pandemic figure of 60,247. Overall attendance rates, which were consistently above 95 percent before COVID-19, have struggled to recover, falling to 93 percent in the 2025-26 academic year.

This trend persists despite efforts to address truancy, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic's disruption to schooling. In response, the government has announced plans for every school in England to have its own attendance target, with initiatives like 'Friday clubs' being encouraged to improve end-of-week attendance.

Morten Jorgensen, CEO of No Isolation, highlighted that school absence, particularly due to EBSA, is a major challenge for the education system. He noted that AV1 technology helps schools fulfill their statutory obligations to provide education. According to Jorgensen, 76 percent of students using AV1 this year have successfully returned to the classroom, demonstrating significant benefits for the students, educational institutions, local authorities, and society.