MORE staff are needed if the problem of regular absence from school is to be properly tackled, the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) warned yesterday.

A RANGE of issues have contributed to the fact that 16 young boys are without a second level school up to 15 months after finishing sixth class.

THE Government has been urged to properly fund the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) to help reverse trends that show one-quarter of second-level students in poor areas missed at least 20 days of school last year.

CHILDREN outside cities and major towns are receiving reduced levels of service from school attendance officers because of a shortage of Government resources, the head of the service has warned.

EXTRA staff to tackle school absenteeism will not be appointed next year because Education Minister Noel Dempsey believes their work is being done by existing services.

THE Government has been urged to spend €25 million next year to recruit 148 school attendance staff whose work will help save hundreds of millions of euro in later years.

SCHOOL dodgers are facing a serious crackdown in September as more than 50 truancy officers are ready to tackle the growing problem.

AN industrial relations dispute is delaying efforts to keep track of children who are regularly not turning up at school.