Primary school attendance rates have improved for a second year running but absence levels remain higher than they were prior to the pandemic, according to a report to be published today by the child and family agency Tusla.
Annual attendance data for the 2023/2024 school year shows that while pupil absence rates remain high, total days lost and chronic absenteeism have both fallen for the second consecutive year.
At primary level the number of days lost by students was 8% in 2023/2024. This compares to 8.6% the year before and 11% two years earlier.
In DEIS primary schools, where students suffer greater poverty levels, the proportion of days lost remains significantly higher, at 11%, although here too an improvement on previous levels has been recorded.
When it comes to chronic absenteeism - defined by Tusla as when a child misses more than 20 days - the figures also show a reduction, but again the rates remain above pre-pandemic levels.
A total of 22% of primary school children missed more than 20 days in 2023/24.
Minister for Education and Youth Helen McEntee said that while the reduction in the total number of days lost was positive, the level of absenteeism in schools remains far too high.
Ms McEntee will outline later today details of a campaign to promote consistent school attendance and raise awareness of its importance for children's academic as well as their social and emotional development.
The multi-platform campaign will seek to encourage parents, guardians, teachers, and communities to support and prioritise regular school attendance.
Minister McEntee said: "Childhood is a time of great opportunity. Every day in school is a building block for a child’s future. When students miss school, they miss out, not only on learning, but also on social development and valuable time with friends and teachers.
"Children and young people in communities across Ireland are missing a concerning number of school days each year. These days add up quickly, and as a result, there is a real risk that many students will not achieve their full potential from education.
"Regular school attendance is essential not just for academic achievement, but also for wellbeing, social development and long-term life outcomes," Ms McEntee said.
The Department of Education and Youth, along with Tusla’s Education and Support Service (TESS) also plan a phased rollout of a school attendance programme called Anseo, beginning with 60 schools nationally.
The Department says the model helps schools identify patterns of absenteeism at the student, class and whole school level, and to develop targeted responses.
In returns made to Tusla schools record absences under a variety of headings. In the last Tusla report "illness" accounted for the highest number of absences at primary level, while more than half of student absences at post-primary level were categorised as "unexplained".
