Absenteeism 'far too high' as 55,000 miss school every day
UNICEF Ireland executive director Melanie Verwoerd and Finn Dillon (2) from Dalkey at the launch of a UNICEF report on childhood care and education
School absenteeism is running at "unacceptably high levels" says a report which shows that more than 100,000 pupils miss more than 20 days schooling every year.
The problem is much worse in disadvantaged schools where more than half the pupils are absent for 20 or more days.
The report shows a clear link between non-attendance and underachievement in schools.
It was compiled by Eoghan MacAogain from the Educational Research Centre who analysed attendance data from 2003/04 to 2005/06 for the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB).
The report says that tackling absenteeism is a national issue. The percentage of student days lost through absence is running at over 6pc in primary schools and around 8pc in post-primary schools.
Over 55,000 students miss school each day -- 27,000 primary and 28,000 post-primary students. This is a loss of 12 school days per student per year in primary school, and 13 school days in post-primary school.
The report shows 11pc of primary pupils (1 in 10) and 17pc of post-primary students (about 1 in 6) are absent for 20 days or more during the school year. This is over 50,000 primary school students, and over 55,000 post-primary students.
Rates of non-attendance are 30pc higher in towns and cities than they are in rural areas and absences of 20 days or more are 70pc higher. Non-attendance is 25pc higher in vocational schools than in secondary schools.
Dr MacAoghan pointed out that much non-attendance was brought about for "acceptable" reasons such as illness or family events while some of it was for reasons that were "unacceptable". The data also shows reported expulsions are uncommon. Only 134 expulsions from school were recorded in 2005/6, 16 in primary school and 118 in post-primary schools.
The reports shows there are strong links between poor attendance and other indicators of educational disadvantage. Primary schools with high non-attendance are likely to have a high proportion of students living in local authority accommodation, in lone-parent families, or in families where the main earner is unemployed.
- John Walshe Education Editor
