More than one in five pupils at primary and post-primary level missed over 20 days of school in the last school year, according to new data from the Tusla Education Support Service (Tess).
Although the level of chronic absenteeism reduced overall last year, figures are still above pre-pandemic figures, while the number of days missed by secondary level students has increased for the second year in a row.
At post-primary level, 21 per cent of secondary school students (67,612) missed more than 20 days of school in the 2022/2023 school year, up from 65,883 in the previous year (22 per cent).
Overall, the number of days missed by post-primary students rose for the second year in a row, from 5,569,447 in the 2022/2023 school year to 6,029,243 last year.
RM Block
This increase, according to the Department of Education, is “largely accounted for” by the increase of 24,000 students in the post-primary student population.
Meanwhile, at primary level, the number of days lost by students has decreased from 8,689,829 in the 2021/2022 school year to 6,247,325 last year.
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Chronic absenteeism also decreased at primary level, with 94,501 students (22 per cent) missing more than 20 days in the last school year, down from 110,151 (25 per cent) the year prior.
The level of chronic absenteeism is higher among Deis urban band 1 schools, which have the highest concentrations of children at risk of educational disadvantage.
Some 38 per cent of these students missed 20 days or more in the last school year, though this is down from 43 per cent the year prior.
Despite high levels of absenteeism, retention rates in post-primary schools remain high, with 90 per cent of students who started school in 2017 sitting the Leaving Cert by 2022 or 2023.
While welcoming improvements in the overall number of days missed, Minister for Education Helen McEntee said the number of pupils missing significant school time “is still far too high” and requires “continued action.”
“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,” she said.
The Minister and Tess are to launch a nationwide campaign on Wednesday to support and prioritise regular school attendance.
It will coincide with the roll-out of the Anseo attendance tool to some 60 schools following a “successful trial” in four schools last year.
It is expected that the tool, which allows schools to identify patterns of absenteeism and plan appropriate interventions, will be rolled out to all schools by 2028.
