Seán Sherlock
Question:40. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is satisfied that the level of absenteeism from school is acceptable; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45920/18]
View answerWednesday, 7 November 2018
Questions (40)
Written answers
As the Deputy may be aware, Tusla Educational Welfare Services (EWS) is responsible for addressing issues in relation to participation, retention and attendance in schools.
Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) work with young people and their families who are experiencing difficulty with school attendance. The main priority of their work is around the welfare of children and young people and on ensuring that concerns and problems around attendance are addressed before attendance becomes a crisis issue.
In schools participating in the Department of Education and Skill’s DEIS initiative (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the EWS has responsibility for operational management of two school-based support services: the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCLS) and the School Completion Programme (SCP).
The thrust of the HSCLS is preventative - to enhance pupils' outcomes, through improved attendance, participation and retention in the education system.
The SCP aims to increase the numbers of young people staying in primary and second level school and in doing so improve the numbers of pupils who successfully complete the Senior Cycle or the equivalent.
The latest figures available in the School Attendance Data suggest that whilst overall school attendance rates are very high there has been a very slight increase in the level of absenteeism between the 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 school years. These being the latest figures available.
The percentage of overall student/days lost through absence in a school year was 5.9% in primary schools and 7.9% in post-primary schools. These figures represent an increase of 0.3 percentage points in primary schools and of 0.2 percentage points in post-primary schools.
I am conscious that it is vital that all children are provided with all the assistance possible with attending school and in this regard my Department will continue to work with colleagues in the EWS and the Department of Education and Skills to ensure that supports are available to those that need them.
Question No. 41 answered with Question No. 36.