New research reveals that school absenteeism has increased significantly since the pandemic, with minimal signs of improvement. The study, released by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on March 4, 2024, highlights concerning trends in both the average number of days missed per student and the prevalence of chronic absenteeism among students, particularly in schools serving disadvantaged communities across Ireland.
The findings indicate that while there has been a slight improvement in attendance in primary schools between the academic years 2022/23 and 2023/24, many schools have seen an uptick in absenteeism. Notably, a significant proportion of post-primary schools reported worsening attendance figures. The report’s authors emphasize the troubling reality that even as disadvantaged schools show improvement in absolute terms, they still lag behind non-disadvantaged schools in relative terms, which may exacerbate existing inequalities in educational outcomes.
According to Emer Smyth, co-author of the report, socio-economic factors play a critical role in school attendance. She stated, “We need to be looking at measures to assist child poverty, to deal with mental health issues among children, but also among their parents and addiction issues.” Smyth pointed out that high levels of chronic absenteeism pose significant challenges for educational personnel working to address the issue.
The report highlights a troubling increase in truancy rates post-pandemic, calling for comprehensive interventions to support attendance. Anna Moya, another co-author, expressed concern over the persistent absenteeism in DEIS schools, which are designed to cater to socio-economically disadvantaged students. She noted, “It is particularly worrying that attendance in primary and post-primary DEIS schools is not recovering as well as non-DEIS schools in the post-Covid period.”
Absenteeism Disparities Across Different School Types
The research utilized administrative data to analyze absenteeism patterns, revealing that primary schools within the DEIS program reported higher rates of absenteeism. Specifically, 35% of students in Urban Band 1 schools missed 20 or more days in the 2023/24 academic year, compared to 17% in non-DEIS schools. The study also found that schools located in areas with higher levels of socio-economic deprivation exhibited worse attendance rates.
In post-primary schools, the trend mirrors that of primary schools, with 28% of students in DEIS schools missing 20 or more days, compared to 19% in non-DEIS schools. Schools in more affluent areas reported significantly lower absence rates of just 15%, while those in disadvantaged areas experienced rates as high as 26%.
The report also highlights that boys’ post-primary schools have lower chronic absence rates than their coeducational counterparts. While both primary and post-primary schools showed a modest reduction in the percentage of chronically absent students and the average number of days lost between 2022/23 and 2023/24, the overall trends remain alarming.
Need for Targeted Interventions
Despite the insights provided by the research, the authors identified significant gaps in the data, noting that around a quarter of schools did not submit absentee figures due to administrative burdens. This limitation hampers efforts to link absenteeism with the socio-economic circumstances of students.
The report emphasizes the necessity for larger-scale interventions, including multi-tiered approaches that engage multidisciplinary teams and foster interaction among parents, students, and schools. Such initiatives are believed to be particularly effective in improving attendance and creating a supportive school environment.
As the data reveals an ongoing challenge, stakeholders and policymakers are urged to prioritize targeted support for schools serving disadvantaged communities. The proposed DEIS plus model aims to enhance resources for these institutions, addressing the disparities that threaten to widen in the wake of the pandemic.
The findings of this research underscore the urgent need for focused efforts to address the root causes of absenteeism, particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged areas, to ensure that all children have equitable access to education.
