Sorca Clarke
Question:261. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of students who have been expelled from primary schools by county in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [20055/23]
View answerDáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 April 2023
261. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of students who have been expelled from primary schools by county in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [20055/23]
View answer262. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the number of students who have been expelled from secondary schools by county in 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [20056/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together.
In line with the arrangements set out as part of the current Government formation, since January 2021 Tusla Education Support Services (TESS), is under the remit of my Department.
TESS operates under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, a piece of legislation that emphasises the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention. TESS has three strands namely the Statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP). The three TESS strands work together collaboratively with schools, families and other relevant services to achieve the best educational outcomes for children and young people. All three strands share the same national outcomes:
- Improved Attendance
- Improved Participation
- Improved Retention
In accordance with the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 schools are obliged to report on school attendance and data on non-attendance in primary and post-primary schools at the aggregated level are collected by Tusla through the Annual Attendance Report (AAR) and, also at the student level through the Student Attendance Report (SAR).
This data is collated by TESS and analysed to provide information, which can be used by TESS to monitor non-attendance, expulsion, and suspensions in all primary and post-primary schools at national level. Tusla publishes its analysis of school attendance data and the latest report relating to the 2018/19 school year was published earlier this year - see Research and StatisticsTusla - Child and Family Agency
I do not propose to provide a county breakdown for expulsions in primary and post-primary schools as the overall number per school year is low when compared with the total school going population.
School expulsions from the 2020/21 school year in primary schools are as follows;
School year 2020/2021 : 13
School year 2021/2022 : 8
School year 2022/present : 7
School expulsions from the 2020/21 school year broken down by province for post primary schools are as follows;
School year 2020/21
Province |
Number |
Leinster |
52 |
Munster |
27 |
Connacht/Ulster |
8 |
Total |
87 |
School year 2021/2022
Province |
Number |
Leinster |
77 |
Munster |
31 |
Connacht/Ulster |
18 |
Total |
126 |
School year 2022/present
Province |
Number |
Leinster |
60 |
Munster |
40 |
Connacht/Ulster |
17 |
Grand Total |
117 |