Schools dispute delays bid to track absentees

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

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) requires around 300 education welfare officers (EWOs) to enforce laws which came into effect last year.

However, difficulties over the transfer of 36 former school attendance officers in Dublin, Cork and Waterford to the new posts has delayed the recruitment process.