March 13th 2007
Minister Hanafin launches National Educational Welfare Board's parents' information leaflet
Parental involvement in children's education is key to the achievement of childhood dreams

The Minister for Education and Science, Ms Mary Hanafin, T.D., today launched the National Educational Welfare Board’s new information leaflet for parents on the importance of school attendance and education.

Entitled “Don’t Let Your Child Miss Out!” the full colour English / Irish leaflet will be posted to over 405,000 households and over 4,000 schools over the coming week.  The leaflet outlines the legal role and obligations of parents in ensuring that their children receive an education together with practical tips on how they can make it easier for their children to attend and enjoy school.  The new information leaflet also informs parents of the special arrangements that apply to children being educated outside of recognised schools, for example, in the home.

In response to the growing diversity among families, the leaflet is being made available in a total of 18 languages and can be downloaded from NEWB’s website www.newb.ie. Translations in new languages will be made available as required.

Launching the new leaflet Minister for Education and Science, Mary Hanafin said “Every parent should know their rights and responsibilities in relation to their child's education and attendance at school. Education has the potential to change a child’s life for the better and regular school attendance brings with it so many benefits. With increasing numbers of newcomer children in our schools, their parents also need key information about the education system and how important it is that their child benefits fully from it. This new leaflet will help them understand their children’s right to receive an education and the positive supporting role of parents. This leaflet will also serve as a valuable resource for schools in their work with families."

Speaking at the launch, Eddie Ward, CEO of the NEWB advised parents to be aware of just how influential they are in relation to their children’s education. “Young children see the world through the eyes of their parents particularly in the early years.  Sometimes parents can be unaware of how strongly they can influence the quality of the school experience for their children and the quality of their learning. All the evidence shows that where a parent is positively and actively involved in their child’s education, outcomes are better and children’s dreams can become a reality. 

Planning ahead, finding the right school, getting to know the teachers and the curriculum, being part of the parent association, and supporting children in their learning are all important ways of making sure that a child has a valuable and enjoyable education. 

“If you are moving house or you have a child who needs a place in school for the first time, make finding a school place a priority to avoid missing key deadlines and have a better chance of securing the school of your choice. Start by finding out what schools are near you, this information is available from local citizen information centres which are located nationwide, and get as much information as you can about them. This will give you a better idea of which schools might suit your child best. Information is also available from the Department of Education & Science website. Once you have narrowed down your search find out about the school’s admission policy and get your application form in.

“Building a good attendance habit is important for young children, particularly at primary level. If your child experiences difficulty at school, investigate the reasons why and get appropriate help.  You will find that school principals and teachers are anxious and willing to help you if you are worried about any aspect of your child’s schooling”, he added.

The NEWB parent leaflet also provides details of the NEWB’s lo-call information helpline* - 1890 36 36 66 - which is manned by trained Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) and is open from 10.00am to 4.00pm daily.  The EWOs provide practical help to parents and schools on education issues which may have a bearing on a child’s school attendance or their overall education. 

The NEWB’s network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) is the key means by which the Board delivers on its statutory remit to ensure that each child attends and benefits from education. At present, 73 Educational Welfare Officers work in communities throughout the country acting as advocates or supports to parents, guardians and children experiencing difficulty with school attendance or educational welfare.  In January 2007, the Minister for Education and Science, Ms Mary Hanafin, T.D., announced that 15 new staff are to be recruited to the NEWB this year.

Under the Education (Welfare) Act, 2000, schools must now notify the NEWB if a child is absent for 20 days in the school year. Very often there will be good reasons for these absences and these will be taken into consideration. If there is a worry that a child is missing out on his or her education, an Educational Welfare Officer may visit the home to discuss the matter. The EWO will then work with the parents, the school and the family to see what can be done to ensure that the child returns to school or receives an adequate education.

The NEWB leaflet also outlines practical tips for parents to help children attend and enjoy their time at school.

• Make education important in your home and let your child know it is not okay to miss school.
• Listen to your child. Be interested in his or her news about school and ask about what he or she is doing.
• Help your child to be proud of a good attendance record.
• Build your child’s confidence by praising him or her when he or she does well.
• Read letters and reports from the school and know the school rules.
• Go to school meetings and get to know the teacher, staff and your child’s friends.
• Don’t take family holidays during school term.
• Be alert for reasons why your child may not want to go to school. If your child finds school work hard, talk to the school right away.
• Encourage your child not to take on a part-time job during school term. A tired teenager will not be able to keep up at school.

The leaflet is available in the following languages:
Albanian, Arabic; Chinese; Czech; English; Estonian; French; Irish; Polish; Latvian;  Lithuanian;  Portuguese;  Romanian;  Russian; Slovak, Spanish, Swedish and Yoruba.

For further information contact:

Elaine O’Mahoney

01 873 8603/087 130 8799

* Note that the rates charged for the use of 1890 (LoCall) numbers may vary among different service providers