Paul Kehoe
Question:146 Mr. Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children who have been suspended from primary schools in Wexford town and county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9141/03]
Written Answers - Suspension Procedures.
Primary and second level schools are not required to notify my Department of cases where pupils are suspended or otherwise excluded from schools. For this reason there are no statistics currently available in this area.
The Education (Welfare) Act 2000, which is now fully commenced, established the National Education Welfare Board as the single national agency with responsibility for school attendance. Under section 21 of the Act, principals of recognised schools are required to maintain, in respect of each school year, an attendance record for each pupil registered at that school. In the event of a student being suspended from a recognised school for a period of not less than six days, the principal of the school concerned is required to inform an educational welfare officer in writing. Boards of management of recognised schools are also required to submit a report on the levels of attendance at the school during the preceding school year to the relevant educational welfare officer, six weeks after the end of the school year.
The National Education Welfare Board appointed an interim chief executive officer in August 2002, and is currently finalising its recruitment of head office staff. Some 36 former school attendance officers who were employed by local authorities under the previous legislation were transferred to the board on 5 July 2002 in accordance with section 40 of the Act. These staff are currently providing a service in the cities of Dublin, Cork and Waterford in accordance with guidance issued to them by the board. Proposals for the recruitment of an additional cohort of educational welfare officers have now been received from the board and are currently being examined by my Department. It is intended that the first of the new staff will be appointed later this year. I have allocated a budget of €5.2 million to the new service for the current year.
Question No. 147 answered with Question No. 145.