Alright, so let’s dive into this whole school absenteeism situation, shall we? Apparently, there are some major concerns about kids skipping out on school way too much. Like, we’re talking thousands of children pulling a disappearing act for 20 days or more in a single academic year. That’s not ideal, to say the least.
In the 2022/2023 school year, over 110,000 primary school students and around 65,000 post-primary school students were MIA for 20 or more days, according to official figures. The Department of Education pointed out that Deis schools and special education settings had some seriously high rates of absenteeism. Minister for Education Helen McEntee didn’t hold back, calling the numbers “hugely alarming” and noting a downward trend in regular attendance over the past few years.
New measures are in the works to tackle this issue head-on. One of them is a fancy-sounding evidence-based framework to help schools analyze and deal with attendance data. This framework is set to be rolled out to 60 schools. Additionally, there will be more investments in the Educational Welfare Service, which is all about helping kids and families struggling with school attendance. Oh, and get this, there’s going to be a big national campaign starting in September to stress the importance of showing up to school on the regular. Plus, a conference next year will bring together experts to share tips and tricks on how to get students to actually attend school. And let’s not forget about the plan to have real-time attendance data for better decision-making. Ms. McEntee even has plans to tweak the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, to give more support to young children, including those under six attending primary school. A national plan on educational disadvantage is also on the horizon. Ms. McEntee is on a mission to make sure every child reaches their full potential by tackling this absenteeism issue head-on.
Attendance matters, folks. It’s not just about showing up and sitting through classes. It’s linked to how well kids do in school and whether they actually finish their education. While some schools are doing a great job at keeping students in their seats, we can’t ignore the data from Tusla that shows there’s still work to be done. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like we need to pay more attention to why kids are missing so much school. And hey, let’s give a round of applause to Ms. McEntee for taking charge and pushing for changes to ensure that every child has a shot at success. Let’s keep an eye on how these new measures play out and hope for the best. Who knows, maybe we’ll see some real progress in the fight against school absenteeism soon.
