School absences down despite fall in monitor levels

School absentee rates are falling — but so are staff levels within the body charged with monitoring it, with one county being overseen by just one senior manager.

The National Education Welfare Board yesterday published its data on school attendance rates for the 2009/10 year, which showed that overall absenteeism rates have fallen and expulsions and suspensions are still comparatively rare.

The report also showed:

* Non-attendance rates are higher in urban areas than in rural areas;

* Absentee rates are higher in mainstream schools with special classes, in vocational and community/comprehensive schools, and in special schools. DEIS areas also saw higher absentee levels;

* 57,739 20-day absences were clocked at primary level and 52,992 at post-primary level;

* Dublin had the highest level of absenteeism, including 20-plus days missed at primary level, while Roscommon had the highest levels at post-primary;

* Limerick had the highest levels of absenteeism in Munster at primary level, with Kerry and Tipperary North among the highest levels at post-primary.

Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald said the figure of 56,000 children missing school every day was “significant”, but said there had been “a terrific improvement” in general attendance levels and in the efforts to cut absenteeism.

She said legislation was being worked on that would allow children under six years of age to be included within the scope of the NEWB, which is not the case at the moment.

The CEO of the NEWB, Clare Ryan, said it was not possible to state how many children were missing 10 or 15 days a year, and the NEWB was looking at how more detailed data could be provided.

Falling staff numbers in the NEWB has presented problems. “It is depleting all the time,” said Ms Ryan. “This year we have 57 EWOs [educational welfare officer], 11 senior EWOs and three regional managers.”

At one point, there were more than 80 EWOs but while a new integrated approach has helped absorb some of the workload, Ms Ryan said: “In the county of Donegal you might just have one person for the entire county.”

NEWB regional manager Dan O’Shea said this meant intervention occurred later with fewer staff and Cavan is currently without an EWO.

“It means you can only intervene at the chronic level,” Ms Ryan said, adding that the NEWB was trying to ensure that “no child falls through the gaps”.

Response rates from schools for data rose to 97.1% for primary schools and 95.8% for post-primary schools, but 130 schools failed to provide data.

* www.newb.ie

Absent data

* 56,000-plus pupils miss school each day.

* Almost 70,000 fewer days were lost in 2009/10 through absenteeism than in the previous year.

* 11 school days per student on average missed at primary level, 13 days on average at post-primary.

* 12% of primary level children missed 20 or more school days.

* 18% of post-primary pupils missed 20+ days.

* 10 children expelled at primary level and 148 at post-primary level.

* 1,051 suspensions at primary level (0.2% of total), 14,162 at post-primary (4.7%).