Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 5: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the number of students in primary and post primary education who miss more than 20 school days per year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23930/10]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

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.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Does the Minister of State view it as acceptable that the National Education Welfare Board, NEWB, publishes these data on a three-year basis and that the information in the most recent report to which he referred is two years out of date? Why can the information not be published by the NEWB on a year-by-year basis instead of once every three years, given the fact that principals give the NEWB the information as requested three or four times per year?

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy will be aware of a certain amount of unhappiness on the part of teachers regarding the bureaucracy associated with this matter. Under the Act, schools are required to report on school attendance for the year. This can only occur at the end of the year. Each year, the board receives the schools' reports and conducts a process to correct some of the information provided. For example, some schools include PLC students or make errors in respect of their enrolments. Other schools need to be reminded to submit their returns. The information is then analysed by the Educational Research Centre, ERC, in Drumcondra and further verification is undertaken. The process can take up to one year.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Extraordinary.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Chalk is being used.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Schools are also required to report absences exceeding 20 days or where there is a concern about the absence profile of a child.

The published figures relate to the 2007-08 period. I do not agree that they are significantly out of date, having regard to the information I have supplied to the House. Nevertheless, I could take the Deputy's comments on board and endeavour to have the figures published, but we must bear in mind the considerations I mentioned.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

We need to change because a year-by-year account is necessary. If the Minister of State is speaking sincerely about transforming the public service, we must have the information on a real-time basis in light of the fact that schools have given it to the NEWB.

While there is a legal obligation on schools to report children who miss more than 20 days, the real acute cases of absenteeism are those of more than 40 days, as the Minister of State is aware. Will he assure the House that local educational welfare officers are making adequate interventions? Will he inform the House of the number of educational welfare officers and will he indicate if those posts are subject to the ban on recruitment witnessed elsewhere in the public sector?

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

It should be said that, under the Education (Welfare) Act, responsibility in this regard rests primarily with parents and schools. We would all accept this, yet there is still a need for intervention by the NEWB. If a child has been absent for more than 60 days, the educational welfare officers become engaged in his or her situation, but only after all other efforts have failed. As I mentioned in my reply to a previous question, other supports are in place to assist schools, parents and teachers, such as the home-school community liaison programme, the schools completion programme and so forth.

The NEWB has a budget of €9.6 million and 109 posts, 106 of which I understand are probably filled. The moratorium applies, but we are in discussions with the Department of Finance in respect of the role of the NEWB's chief executive officer, a post that will fall to be filled in the near future.