Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

The National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, is the statutory body with responsibility for school attendance. The board compiles statistics based on attendance returns at the end of each school year. The findings from these reports help to identify trends in school attendance. The most recent statistics on national levels of school attendance are contained in the report, Analysis of School Attendance Data in Primary and Post-Primary Schools, 2006/7 and 2007/8, published by the NEWB earlier this week.

The report shows figures for 20-day absence have remained fairly stable over the five year period from 2003/04 to 2007/08 with, on average, 58,000 or 12% of primary and 57,000 or 17% of post-primary students absent for 20 days or more during each school year. The report also shows that non-attendance is more prevalent among older children and children who come from more disadvantaged areas.

Educational welfare officers of the NEWB work with approximately 8,000 children each year who are reported as having serious school attendance or school placement difficulties or who have been expelled from schools. The NEWB has, in the past, issued information leaflets to parents and run public awareness campaigns to raise the profile of school attendance. It also operates an education helpline to provide information on attendance and related matters. Since September 2009 the role of the NEWB has been expanded to include the school completion programme and the home school community liaison, HSCL, programme as well as the visiting teachers service for Travellers.

School attendance is a central objective of the newly expanded service. The school completion programme includes attendance tracking as one of its main preventative strategies. HSCL co-ordinators work with parents to promote school attendance. These services are available to all schools participating in DEIS, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, the action plan for educational inclusion. The visiting teachers for Travellers work directly with the Traveller parents and children to promote regular school attendance and participation in school. In line with Government policy the board prioritises its resources to support schools participating in DEIS.

This integrated approach is part of the Government's overall approach to transforming public services announced in November 2008 and will significantly benefit service delivery to children and their families and assist schools in meeting the challenges they face in tackling poor attendance and early school leaving.

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