Truancy affecting all levels, says body

CHILDREN from middle-class backgrounds are skipping school as much as those from less well-off areas, according to the head of the agency tackling school absence.

Eddie Ward, chief executive of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB), said the problem of truancy was common in every part of the country. The fact is

revealed in end-of-year reports being sent to the board by schools over the last few weeks.

“It has become very clear that school attendance is not localised, it’s affecting all communities, including middle-class schools and middle-class areas,” he said.

The NEWB recently received 228 applications for the first recruitment phase of 20 educational welfare officers, who will be in place when schools reopen in September.

Their job will be to liaise with schools and homes and follow up on cases where children have missed more than 20 days in any year, or to intervene earlier where principals see it as necessary.

However, they will only be allocated to areas designated as disadvantaged initially, until the full complement of around 300 officers is in place over the next two to three years.

The board will be making information available to parents in September, informing them of their obligations under the Act.