Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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285. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools in which a reduced timetable for certain students has been put in place by county; the number of students affected in each of the years 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018, by county. [49545/18]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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286. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the guidelines and-or procedures in place to ensure that this facility is not used as a behaviour management tool with regard to reduced timetables; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49546/18]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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287. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has conducted an analysis of the pupils which have been given a reduced timetable in recent years; the nature of this cohort of students; the findings of this analysis; if it has taken place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49547/18]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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288. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the circumstances under which a reduced timetable can be imposed on a student; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49548/18]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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289. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the actions taken to ensure that reduced timetables are recorded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49549/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 285 to 289, inclusive, together.

The position of my Department is that all pupils who are enrolled in a school should attend school for the full day, unless exempted from doing so for exceptional circumstances, such as medical reasons.

Reduced timetables should not be used as a behavioural management technique, or as a de facto suspension or expulsion.

Where schools apply a shorter school day in relation to a child, such arrangements should only be put in place in exceptional circumstances in order to assist a pupil to return to a school, where a pupil has been experiencing an absence due to a medical or behavioural related condition.

Any such arrangement should be a transitionary arrangement, which is designed to assist the reintegration of a pupil to a school environment.

In making any such arrangements, school authorities should be mindful of the best interests of the child and of the child's right to a full day in school. Schools should seek the advice of the National Educational Psychology Service before implementing such arrangements.

My Department does not hold the data requested by the Deputy.

The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 requires a school principal to inform an educational welfare officer in writing where a student is suspended from a recognised school for a period of not less than 6 days. The school is also obliged to record and maintain attendance records and to report to Tusla, unauthorised non-attendance above the threshold of 20 days, or where the school principal is of the opinion that a student is not attending school regularly. This is done currently through the School Returns mechanism to TUSLA Educational Welfare Services.

Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools (NEWB, 2008) states that“Exclusion of a student for part of the school day, as a sanction, or asking parents to keep a child from school, as a sanction, is a suspension. Any exclusion imposed by a school is a suspension, and should follow the guidelines relating to a suspension”.

Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 makes provision for a parent to take an appeal against a school in relation to suspension of a student. In certain circumstances reduced timetables could be appealed by a parent under this provision.

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is engaging with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and TUSLA Educational Welfare Service on the matter of reduced timetables, with a view to examining options which can be taken to address the issues raised.