Shutting loophole would help fight truancy, says expert

ONE of the country’s most experienced school truancy officers believes closing a legal loophole that excludes intervention with younger children could help the battle against regular absences.

As highlighted by the Irish Examiner yesterday, the families of more than 98% of the 67,000 children starting primary school this week cannot be sanctioned until next January at the earliest if they miss classes regularly.

Almost half will remain outside the power of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) for at least another year after that, into the second term of senior infants, as the law only requires children to be at school from the age of six.