| Study Title |
A43 Primary Student Absence Report |
| Data Owner |
Educational Welfare Services, Child and Family Agency (www.tusla.ie) |
| Description |
Schools are obliged by law under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000to submit reports on school attendance to the Educational WelfareServices of the Child and Family Agency. There are two types ofreporting required and they are (i) reports on individual students and (ii)reports on overall school attendance figures. The data on overall schoolattendance submitted by schools at the end of each school year isanalysed and a national report produced by the Education ResearchCentre (ERC), St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra (www.erc.ie). |
| Primary Function |
To provide high-level national and county information in relation to the number of days lost through student absence, number of students who were absent for 20 days or more during the school year, number of students expelled and the number of students suspended. |
| Key Variables |
Not applicable |
| Themes |
Education; Demographics |
| Unit Of Observation |
Individual primary school student |
| Start Date |
2003/04 (first school year for collection of data) |
| Frequency |
Annually |
| Target Population |
Individual primary school student |
| Format |
The ERC manage data processing in an Excel database. |
| Method |
Paper-based and computerised data collection. |
| Most Recent Publication |
2009/10 data to published in first half of 2012.
- Research and Statistics reports are available at: www.newb.ie/publications/researchreports.asp
- Annual reports are available at: www.newb.ie/publications/annualreports.asp |
| Access Further Information |
National Educational Welfare Board (www.newb.ie) |
| Notes |
As a result of this data collection, the following key findings have emerged:- The percentage of student days lost through absence is running at just over 6% in primary schools and about 8% in post-primary schools. The figures for 2009/10 are lower than for 2008/09 and are at the lower end for the 5-year period 2005/06 – 2009/10.
- Over 56,000 students miss school each day, consisting of approximately 31,400 primary students and 24,700 post-primary students. This equates to a loss of 11 school days per student per year in primary school and 13 days per student per year in post-primary school.
- Confirmation that the percentage of student days lost through absence has remained stable over the last 7 years and absenteeism rates are in line with figures in the UK. |