One in seven children miss school for more than 20 days

One in seven children miss school for more than 20 days a year, it has emerged.

Schools must notify the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) when a pupil is absent for more than 20 days.

According to the NEWB, more than 111,000 of the country’s 800,000-plus primary and post-primary pupils are absent from school for more than 20 days every year.

NEWB chairperson designate Nuala Doherty told the Joint Committee on Health and Children yesterday that there was a strong link between child welfare and school attendance.

Ms Doherty said a “significant number” of the 200 children who died in State care over the last 10 years had a very poor school attendance, or dropped out of school completely.

Ms Doherty said it was crucial, even in these economic times, that children most at risk of leaving school were prioritised and reviewed on a constant basis.

She pointed out that primary pupils miss an average of 11 days per year, while post primary pupils miss around 13. However, in most cases, there was a valid reason for a child being absent.

Chairman of the joint committee, Jerry Buttimer, said the committee could not condone parents who took children out of school for holidays.

“We want to send out a message that school attendance is not an option, it is a fact of life,” he said.

Between 2009 and 2010 there were 10 expulsions in primary schools and 148 in post primary schools. Ms Doherty said such events were still a “rare occurrence”.

There were 1,787 school attendance notices issued since 2005, with 581 summons issued against parents since 2006 and 200 convictions secured in the courts.

Between 2009 and 2010, 777 children being educated at home were registered with the NEWB while a further 8,292 were in 36 private schools that receive no State support.

Ms Doherty said the NEWB’s current annual budget was €9.6m. The board had 91 staff — 69 were education and welfare officers, while three were regional managers.

The board, that had a staffing target of 100 for 2012, has permission to recruit three additional education and welfare officers and a director of education.