Micheál Martin
Question:137 Mr. Martin asked the Minister for Education the number of persons aged under 15 years who are not attending school in the 1995-96 academic year. [10737/96]
Written Answers. - School Non-attendance.
My Department has issued "Guidelines towards a Positive Policy for School Behaviour and Discipline" to assist schools in the formulation of their policies relating to suspensions and expulsions. It is not a requirement that schools must advise the Department of such suspensions, expulsions or other absences from school. Accordingly, I am not in a position to supply the Deputy with the information which he has requested.
The school attendance-Truancy Report, published in 1994, examined the issue of suspensions and expulsions from schools. Subsequent to the publication of this report a task force was established within the Department to examine submissions on the report and to make recommendations for further action. The issues raised in the school attendance-truancy report such as the question of mandatory notification to the Department by schools of children suspended or otherwise absent from schools are being considered.
The 1995 ESRI annual school leavers Survey which focuses on 1993-94 school leavers is currently being finalised. Preliminary data from the survey indicates that there has been a substantial decline in the numbers of leavers with no qualifications from a base of 3,300 in 1992-93.