Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 March 2023
394. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education the statistics that are collected by the Tusla education support service and education welfare officer in relation to absenteeism in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11414/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra396. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education if she will provide statistics from the education welfare officer in relation to absenteeism in schools in Tipperary; the number of students that have disengaged from mainstream education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11416/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 396 together.
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
The EWS deal with children and families who have difficulties in relation to school attendance, participation, retention. This is a statutory service and its primary role is to ensure that every child either attends school regularly or otherwise receives a certain minimum education; to ensure and secure every child’s entitlement to education.
Under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, primary and post-primary schools are obliged by law to submit an annual attendance report to TESS on the levels of school attendance each year.
This information 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. Student absence reports are submitted to TESS by schools twice each year on those students with serious attendance issues that have been identified during the school year. Students that have been absent from school for a cumulative total of twenty days or more are reported.
The latest School Attendance Data and Student Absence Report published by Tusla relates to the 2017/18 school year and is available under the publications section on Tusla’s website at www.tusla.ie/services/educational-welfare-services/publications/research-and-statistics/. The data contained in this report is broken down into primary and post-primary schools and it also contains non-attendance data by county.
The most recent activity data for TESS is published on Tusla’s website in the ‘Quarterly Integrated Performance and Activity Report 2022’ and relates to the 2021/22 school year. The report is available at: www.tusla.ie/uploads/content/Q3_2022_Service_Performance_and_Activity_Report_V1.0.pdf
The School Attendance Data and Student Absence Report for the 2018/19 school year is due for publication shortly. A further report, covering the past three school years, is due to be published later this year.
