Vol. 473 No. 4
397 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Education the proposals, if any, she has to establish a system whereby her Department is automatically notified of any pupils expelled from school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1778/97]
Primary and second-level schools are not required to notify my Department of cases where children are suspended or otherwise excluded from schools. The School Attendance/Truancy report, published in 1994, highlighted the question of suspensions and expulsions from schools. Subsequent to the publication of this report a Task Force was established within the Department to examine submissions on the report and to make recommendations for further action. The establishment of a system whereby the proposed education boards are notified of any pupil expelled from school is one of the issues currently being considered in the context of the updating of the school attendance legislation.
