December 11th 2008
Analysis of School Attendance Data in Primary and Post-Primary Schools, 2003/4 to 2005/06

Third year of data

No major change in attendance data year-on-year

Attendance is taken seriously by schools - Level of schools reporting increases

Attendance is a national issue and level of Absences Over 20 days is still unacceptably high

The National Educational Welfare Board's (NEWB) report of the Analysis of School Attendance Data in Primary and Post-Primary Schools, 2003/4 to 2005/06 released today (Thursday 11th December 2008) shows a large increase in the number of schools responding to the NEWB's Annual School Attendance Report.

Over 100,000 children miss more than 20 days each year and non attendance is greater among older children and children who live in more disadvantaged areas and in urban areas. The report gives an overview of the incidence of suspension and expulsion in schools. The data confirms that we have significant school absenteeism levels in Ireland and today's data is the beginning of the putting in place of a national baseline data which will help future planning and policy development.

Since the commencement of the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, schools are obliged by law to submit a report to the NEWB on the levels of school attendance. This report is also available to parents. The Annual Attendance Report is submitted by each school when they close for the summer.

Non attendance at school is a strong indicator of overall child welfare and a determinant of education outcomes. While today's data shows consistency in levels of attendance over the three year period to 2006, we would not expect to see major shifts in attendance levels from year-to-year. Change takes time as policy measures take effect and research shows that school absenteeism is a complex matter requiring sustained investment in a range of supports for children, families and schools and in the area of education provision.

In primary schools, the response rose from 81% (in 2004/05) to 95% and in post primary schools from 76% to 88% - meaning that data provided by the Annual Attendance Report now constitutes a national database of non-attendance, expulsion, and suspension in all the country's primary and post-primary schools.

The report highlights that tackling absenteeism is a national issue. The percentage of student/days lost through absence is running at over 6% in primary schools and around 8% in post-primary schools. Over 55,000 students miss school each day, consisting of 27,000 primary and 28,000 post-primary students. This is a loss of 12 school days per student per year in primary school, and 13 school days in post-primary school.

About 11% of primary-school students (approximately 1 in 10) and 17% of post-primary students (approximately 1 in 6) are absent for 20 days or more during the school year. This is over 50,000 primary school students, and over 55,000 post-primary students.

The data also shows that reported expulsions are uncommon. Only 134 expulsions from school were recorded in 2005/6, 16 in primary school and the remaining 118 in post-primary schools. Around 5% of post-primary students (over 16,000) were suspended in 2005/6, and a quarter of one percent of primary students (over 1,000). The rate of suspensions is 20 times higher in post-primary schools.

The reports shows there are strong links between poor attendance and other indicators of educational disadvantage. Primary schools with high non-attendance are likely to have a high proportion of students living in local authority accommodation, in lone-parent families, or in families where the main earner is unemployed. At post-primary level, non-attendance is strongly linked to high ratings for socio economic disadvantage, with high rates of dropout in Junior and Senior Cycle, and poorer performance on the Junior Certificate Examination.

Commenting on the report, Eddie Ward, Chief Executive Officer, NEWB said: "Over the past three years, one of our main objectives has been to produce robust baseline data on non attendance at school. This has been largely achieved at this stage.

School absenteeism is currently at unacceptably high levels. Combating the issues underlying poor attendance requires concerted action and further integration of existing school support services and other stakeholders involved with children, young people and their families.

The high response rates by schools show how seriously they take the issue of absenteeism. Monitoring attendance will help them to focus their own attendance strategies on prevention and early intervention.

The report tells us that absences of 20 days or more are a central feature of social exclusion which if measured over time will give us a true indication of the progress being made in addressing disadvantage in education. Therefore, the collection and refinement of this data is an important contribution to our understanding of school absenteeism and how we are dealing with it.

The broad data highlights again that the causes of poor attendance and educational disadvantage are complex and points us to areas where we need to focus more detailed research. A key component of this strategy is the evaluation of interventions for the purpose of showing what works and the dissemination of the findings and best practice.

The data comes at an opportune time for NEWB as we are reviewing our "every school day counts" strategy and planning for the next five years in consultation with our stakeholders and the Department", Ward added.

Summary of main findings:

Response of Schools to NEWB Annual Attendance Report Approaches 100%

• There was a large increase in response-rates to the NEWB Annual Attendance Report in 2005/6. In primary schools, it rose from 81% (in 2004/5) to 95%, and in post-primary schools, from 76% to 88%.
• This means that data provided by the Annual Attendance Report now constitute a national data base that can be used to monitor non-attendance, expulsion, and suspension in all of the country's primary and post-primary schools.

Figures for Non-Attendance Stable

• The percentage of student/days lost through absence is running at over 6% in primary schools and around 8% in post-primary schools. Over 55,000 students miss school each day, consisting of approximately 27,000 primary and 28,000 post-primary students. This is a loss of 12 school days per student per year in primary school, and 13 school days per year in post-primary school.
• About 11% of primary-school students (1 in 10) and 17% of post-primary students (1 in 6) are absent for 20 days or more during the school year. This is close to 50,000 primary school students, and over 55,000 post-primary students.

Non-Attendance in Primary School Highest in Urban Areas

• Rates of general non-attendance in primary schools are 30% higher in towns and cities than they are in rural areas, and absences of 20 days or more are 70% higher.

Expulsions Still Rare

• Only 134 expulsions from school were recorded in 2005/6, 16 in primary school and the remaining 118 in post-primary schools.

Suspensions Occur Mostly in Post-Primary Schools

• Around 5% of post-primary students (over 16,000) were suspended in 2005/6, and a quarter of one percent of primary students (over 1,000). The rate of suspensions is 20 times higher in post-primary schools.

Highest Non-Attendance in Vocational Schools

• Rates of non-attendance are 25% higher in vocational schools than in secondary schools, and rates of 20-day absences and expulsions 50% higher.
• Non-attendance figures for community and comprehensive schools fall in between those of secondary and vocational schools.

Absences from School a Central Feature of Social Exclusion

• Absence from school, particularly absences of 20 days or more and suspensions, are a central feature of social exclusion as measured in other school surveys at national level.
• Primary schools with high non-attendance are likely to have a high proportion of students living in local authority accommodation, in lone-parent families, or in families where the main earner is unemployed. Primary schools with high non-attendance report lower performance in English and Mathematics, and a large proportion of these schools participate, or participated in disadvantage projects.
• At post-primary level, non-attendance is strongly linked to high ratings for socio economic disadvantage, with high rates of dropout in Junior and Senior Cycle, and poorer performance on the Junior Certificate Examination.

The Change from School-Level to Student-Level Percentages

Student-level percentages are preferred in the 2005/6 report as summaries of the extent of absenteeism in the schools, in contrast with the school-level percentages used in the two earlier reports (Weir, 2004, Ó Briain, 2006). Both figures are required, and in particular, school-level percentages have to be used when non-attendance is correlated with aspects of disadvantage, as in Chapters 2 and 3 of the full report. Appendix I of the full report explains the difference and reconciles the figures reported in all three reports.

Download Report (PDF)

For further information contact:

Elaine O 'Mahoney

01 873 8603 / 087 130 8799