Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 22 Feb 1996

Vol. 462 No. 1

Adjournment Debate. - School Attendance.

Ms Shortall

I thank the Minister for coming in to take this matter. I raise this issue in the context of an increasing problem, the significant number of children out of school. Officially there is a minimum school leaving age, but that is of little use unless the Department is in a position to enforce that requirement. In my constituency frequently during the day individuals and sometimes large numbers of children are seen hanging around. It has been brought to my attention on a number of occasions that these children are not attending school regularly. Recently I put down a parliamentary question to the Minister for Education seeking facts and figures for my constituency and asking how many children are currently out of school. The reply is that the information is not available because schools are not required to report such cases to the Department. The onus should be on schools to notify the Department so that the necessary follow-up can take place.

While I am conscious of the general problem, three cases came to my attention in recent months which are a cause of concern. In the first case a child was refused entry to a second level school on the grounds of lack of ability. The child has been out of school since leaving primary school last June. The parents came to me in desperation and after a large number of phone calls and letters to the Department an unsatisfactory ad hoc arrangement was reached. The second case involves a child who was refused entry to a special school because it is in dispute with the Department. That child is in limbo with no school service. The third case involves an 11 year old girl who was expelled from primary school and whose parents could not get her into another school.

When these cases were brought to my attention by the parents concerned I contacted the Department but it was unaware of them. It has taken considerable time for the Department to provide the necessary follow-up. In two of the cases the inspectorate has yet to make contact with the parents concerned and in the meantime the children are out of school. In these cases the parents were sufficiently interested to pursue the matter and contacted me as a public representative. There are, however, cases where parents may not be interested. There is an onus on the Department to provide the necessary follow-up, but how can that be done if it is unaware of the problem? Research shows that children who drop out of school early are likely to become long-term unemployed and there is a significant chance they will end up in difficulties. Investment in services will be repaid many times in terms of averting problems at a later stage.

Young people with learning difficulties or behavioural problems deserve proper services and follow-up from the Department of Education. That would be a sound investment and I appeal to the Minister to give early attention to the matter. Schools should be required to notify the Department when children drop out or are expelled. Obviously that would lead to pressure for new services but it would be in the best interest of the young people who are at risk.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Currie)

Primary and second-level schools are not required to notify my Department of cases where children are suspended or otherwise excluded from schools. This is a matter for the board of management of primary schools and for the managerial authorities of second-level schools subject to the provisions of the School Attendance Act, 1926. I was as surprised as the Deputy appears to be when I learned of that some time ago.

Under the rules for national schools, no pupil shall be struck off the rolls for breaches of discipline without the prior consent of the patron and unless alternative arrangements are made for the enrolment of the pupil at another suitable school. The selection and enrolment of pupils in second-level schools is the responsibility of the authorities of the individual school, subject to relevant recognition and funding conditions. As schools may not have a place for every applicant, a selection process may be necessary.

Discussions took place during 1993 between representatives of the Department of Education and the three post-primary managerial associations, the Joint Managerial Body, the Irish Vocational Education Association and the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools. It was agreed that the selection of pupils for enrolment in second-level schools should not be used on academic ability and selection on that basis, where used heretofore, must be discontinued; the principle of the school working in and for the community it serves should be emphasised; the Department of Education and the managerial authorities would cooperate in monitoring the situation. Where difficulties arise in the enrolment of a pupil or pupils in any particular type of post-primary school, the Department of Education and the appropriate managerial body would, through the mechanism of a monitoring committee for each particular sector, consider each case with a view to resolving the difficulty follwing consultation, where necessary, with the school authorities and the appropriate trustees. The following represented criteria which might be used in selection procedures: priority to pupils from national schools in the area; enrolment on a "first come, first served" basis; random selection on the basis of age of applicants; priority to brothers and sisters of pupils already enrolled in the school and priority to pupils of a particular religious denomination.

While there have been a number of cases brought to the attention of my Department where schools continue to hold such academic tests for the purpose of enrolment, the general position is that these tests have been abolished. In the cases which were brought to the attention of my Department action has been taken to have the enrolment policy of such schools revised to eliminate those tests.

I am aware of the problem of children who are not attending school because they have been expelled or excluded from second-level schools and the related difficulties this presents for both schools and parents. The managerial authorities of second-level schools are responsible for ensuring that a fair and efficient code of behaviour, encompassing rules, sanctions and procedures, is drawn up and applied in the school.

Circumstances will vary from school to school and it is only those intimately involved with a particular school who can draw up the detail of a code of discipline appropriate for that school. Accordingly, the most effective method of countering indiscipline is for each school to draw up its code of behaviour. In drawing up the code, school authorities should have regard to guidelines issued by my Department.

In 1990 and 1991, my Department issued "Guidelines Towards a Positive Policy for School Behaviour and Discipline" together with "A Suggested Code of Behaviour and Discipline" to all schools. Within these guidelines individual boards are given the discretion to work out specific details. The guidelines lay considerable stress on the use of suspension only as a last resort. My information is that, in general, schools adhere to these guidelines.

My Department gives assistance in securing placement in individual cases. Typically this can arise where a pupil has been suspended as a result of disruptive behaviour and where alternative arrangements need to be made. In these circumstances, my Department endeavours through a process of consultation with the schools and through its inspectorate to assist in the reinstatement of the pupil in the school or alternatively, his or her placement in another school. In more difficult situations, my Department's psychological service is available to assess pupils to determine the nature and extent of any special needs with a view to having them addressed in the most appropriate manner. Programmes such as youth encounter projects and Youthreach are designed to cater for pupils whose needs can best be dealt with outside of the mainstream school system.

The issue raised by the Deputy is also actively being examined by the Truancy Task Force established last year. The question of requiring school authorities to report expulsions is being considered in the context of proposals for a revision of school attendance regulations and the school attendance service. I hope the problems raised by the Deputy will be solved in that context.