March 2004
Information Update
The National Educational Welfare Board
The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 provides a comprehensive new framework for promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. All sections of the Act are now commenced.
The Act provides for the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for encouraging and supporting regular school attendance. The Board has responsibility for ensuring that each child aged six and upwards attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education, unless a child comes within the specific exceptions set out in the Act. The Act outlines a range of functions and powers to enable the Board discharge its responsibilities.
The Board is developing a nationwide service that is accessible to schools; parents/guardians and others concerned with the welfare of young people. For this purpose, Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) are being appointed and deployed throughout the country to provide a welfare-focused service to support regular school attendance and discharge the Board’s functions locally.
The service, which will have a regional structure, is being developed on a phased basis and in accordance with the resources allocated by Government. Children who are not in receipt of an education, areas with high levels of disadvantage and areas that had a school attendance service under the previous legislation are receiving priority in the initial stages.
Persons previously employed, as school attendance officers are now employees of the Board.
Launch of new national service
The new national service was launched by the Minister for Education & Science, Mr Noel Dempsey, T.D., on 1st December 2003. Educational welfare staff then moved to their new districts across the country and began to make contact with schools. They are now following up on student absence reports received from schools in their areas.
The Board will shortly write to schools to give information about the new service including contact details. In addition, local information meetings will be arranged.
Budget for 2004
The Board is a funded agency of the Department of Education & Science. The provisional allocation for 2004 is €5.7m, a no change situation on last year’s allocation. On this basis, the service will not be extended to new areas in 2004. This is sufficient to fund 73 service delivery posts and 11 HQ posts.
Work plan for 2004
We are currently developing a work plan for 2004.
Management Team
The following management team has been appointed:
Mr Eddie Ward - Chief Executive Officer
Ms Jill Leonard - Director of Corporate Services
Mr Frank Smith - Director of Educational Services
Ms Mairead Nalty - Human Resources and Training Manager
Mr Neil Ryan - I.T. Manager
Mr Seamus McSorley - Facilities/Services Manager
Ms Nora Rahill - Finance Manager
Appointment of Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs)
58 educational welfare staff have been appointed to date from a total number sanctioned of 73. This includes 29 former school attendance officers who transferred to the Board from the pre-existing service. A number of vacancies are being filled at present.
Distribution of educational welfare staff
The new national service is structured on a regional basis. Initially, the country is divided into five regions. An intensive service is provided in urban areas designated under RAPID or under disadvantaged programmes operated by the Department of Education & Science in the cities of Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick and Galway. RAPID towns with significant school going populations also have an Educational Welfare Officer allocated to them. These towns are Dundalk, Drogheda, Navan, Athlone, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Bray, Clonmel, Tralee, Ennis, Sligo and Letterkenny. Areas that have an intensive service have an EWO assigned to them to work with schools and families on school attendance.
In all other areas, the Board will follow up on urgent cases where children are not currently in receipt of an education or have serious levels of absenteeism.
A full listing of staff by location is available separately.
Education Outside of recognised schools
Parents of children who educate their children at home or who attend non recognised schools must apply to the Board to have the child registered. Registration takes place when the Board is satisfied that the education being provided is of a satisfactory standard.
The Minister for Education & Science has published Guidelines on the assessment of Education in places other than recognised schools. These Guidelines will inform the work of the Board. A small number of authorised persons have been trained by the Board to carry out education assessments. An information leaflet and an application form are being prepared for issue to families who are involved in this form of education.
Consultation
The Board has established a School Implementation Group comprised of managers, principals, teachers and parents to advise it on school related matters. This Group gives the Board the benefit of knowledge and expertise that exists at school level. A work programme has been drawn up by the Group and is being advanced.
Strategic Plan
The Board will develop an overall strategic plan to guide the development of the new service during the early years of its operation. The plan will identify priorities, values and timescales for the phasing in of the new service.
Further Information
The Board is anxious that information concerning the Act and the Board is made available to schools, parents and others as soon as possible. An introductory letter was issued to all schools in March 2003.
Guidelines are being prepared for schools on the reporting of student absences and a protocol outlining the interaction between schools and educational welfare staff is being developed.
An information leaflet has been prepared for distribution to parents of children of school going age.
A website has been established (www.newb.ie). It contains basic information concerning the Board and is updated regularly.
Contact us
The Board can be contacted by email at info@newb.ie. The Board’s head office is located at 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7. Telephone: 01 873 8700: Fax: 01 8738 799.
If you need to contact educational welfare staff, the contact details are as follows:
Dublin Office
National Educational Welfare Board,
Ground Floor
16-22 Green Street,
Dublin 7,
Telephone: (01) 8738600
Fax: (01) 8738699
Email: info@newb.ie
Cork Office
National Educational Welfare Board,
Block C,
Heritage Business Park,
Beesboro Road,
Blackrock,
Cork
Telephone: (021) 4536314
Limerick Office
National Educational Welfare Board,
Rossbrien Road,
Punch's Cross,
Limerick
Telephone: (061) 430010 / 430011
Eddie Ward
Chief Executive Officer
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