Ivan Yates
Question:94 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will comment on the OECD findings indicating a dramatically higher level of school non-attendance here compared to other countries. [16142/00]
Written Answers. - School Absenteeism.
The Deputy is referring to a recent OECD publication Education at a Glance 2000. Ireland participated in the third international mathematics and science study – TIMMS – conducted in over 40 countries, during the school year 1994-95. The survey was conducted on eight grade pupils which, in the Irish context, involved mostly second-level pupils in first or second year.
A moderate degree of absenteeism among eight grade pupils was taken to be 5% as a basis of comparison. Ireland and Australia had a 7% rate of absenteeism, the third highest among the countries surveyed. High levels of student absenteeism can have a negative effect on a student's opportunity to learn and may be harmful to a student's learning achievement. In Ireland's case, the mean mathematics achievement in the test was higher in those Irish schools that had a lower absenteeism rate, less than 5%, than in other Irish schools reporting absenteeism rates greater than 5%. This was similar to most countries. Nevertheless, the mean mathematics achievement in Ireland was 527 against an OECD mean of 524 and this ranked Ireland as seventh among the participating countries.
I am concerned about high levels of absenteeism. There is a number of factors contributing to absenteeism including educational disadvantage. Since 1995 a number of initiatives have been taken to assist schools serving disadvantaged areas improve many aspects of their learning environment. These initiatives would be expected to result in improved attendance among disadvantaged students. These initiatives include an extension of the home school community liaison scheme; enhanced capitation for all second schools serving disadvantaged areas; introduction of the eight to 15 early school leavers' initiative and the stay-in-school retention initiative; improved resources to schools in terms of teacher allocation and capital resources; and, school development planning.
In addition, the junior certificate school programme was introduced to provide an alternative junior cycle curriculum for pupils who might otherwise leave school. I have announced recently my intention to expand this scheme on a phased basis to all interested schools. The leaving certificate applied is now available in more than 200 schools and centres to meet the needs of those who find the leaving certificate and leaving certificate vocational programme unsuitable.
The Education (Welfare) Bill is before the Oireachtas at present. The Bill will provide the statutory underpinning for a new structure and framework to tackle the causes and symptoms of non-school attendance. The National Educational Welfare Board will co-ordinate the activities of all those involved, in so far as they relate to matters connected with school attendance. The board will identify the causes of poor school attendance on the part of certain children and the adoption of measures for its prevention.
The issue of absenteeism is not a simple one and in order successfully to address the issue the approaches employed must be wide-ranging and include strategies for identification, balancing of rights, statutory safeguards and school empowerment. I have outlined the major steps being taken to address the issue and I am confident that these steps will provide the basis for developing and refining strategies to counter school non-attendance in the future.