Written answers

Wednesday, 27 May 2020

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

School Attendance

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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855. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to waive compulsory attendance with regard to primary, secondary and third-level courses (details supplied). [8219/20]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) has statutory responsibility under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 for ensuring all children attend school regularly. Educational Welfare Officers (EWO's) work with families and children to overcome barriers to their school attendance, participation and retention.

All schools in Ireland closed on 12th March 2020 and currently remain closed. Under the Act compulsory school attendance is recorded on the school roll, which is marked daily when schools are open. No school roll has been marked on this basis since March 12th.

Since then Educational Welfare Officers have provided ongoing support to all open cases that it has received from schools with particular attention to students preparing for examinations (prior to decisions to defer examinations), children who have no school place for September 2020 and very vulnerable groups for example Traveller and Roma communities and children living in direct provision. TESS is currently reviewing all open and referred cases and all TESS services are working closely with schools to ensure that vulnerable children and young people are supported to participate in their education within the parameters of the current public health advice.

The Department of Education and Skills has advised that the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are governed by the Universities Act 1997, the Institutes of Technologies Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Within the meaning of these Acts, HEIs are autonomous with regard to management of their academic affairs including attendance policies and the Department of Education and Skills has no role in relation to these policies. I can also advise that TESS nor my Department have no role in relation to attendance policies in these institutions.

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