Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 March 2005
106 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Education and Science if she will amend the Education (Welfare) Act to ensure that children under six years but in full-time education will be covered by the legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7907/05]
View answerThe Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework for promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education.
During the summer of 2004, the board undertook a survey on the levels of school attendance for the school year 2003-04. This is the first time that data on school attendance at national level have been collected. The findings of the survey support the targeting policy followed by the board to date in appointing educational welfare officers to the areas of greatest disadvantage.
Under the terms of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, one of the functions of the board is to conduct and commission research into the reasons for non-attendance on the part of students and into the strategies and programmes designed to prevent it. The board is in the process of establishing two research projects in 2005, one of which will focus on an analysis of student absenteeism returns. Pending receipt of the reports from the board in due course, my Department has no plans to amend the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.
