Ballymun initiative produces big reduction in school absenteeism

A new initiative in Ballymun, in Dublin, has helped almost halve the absenteeism rate amongst schoolchildren in less than two years.

Children in the town have gone to school 14,000 more days thanks to the Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership.

Attendance promoters were employed part-time in each school, and software was installed allowing teachers to keep a better record of how often a child was absent from class.

Education programme manager Colma Nic Lughadha said that this initiative could easily be rolled out nationwide.

"Certainly we feel out here we have a lot to offer nationally, we have been talking to the National Education Welfare Board," she said.

"So we are hopeful that we can help, if you like, influence policy at a national level and share our successes with everybody."