Children miss school due to financial crisis [IrishExaminer]
- Published: 13 May 2011
FINANCIAL difficulties are leading to children missing school on a regular basis, according to staff working with families to address poor attendance.
The National Educational Welfare Board has seen direct evidence of the recession’s impact, with problems in households as much a cause of absenteeism as parents simply neglecting to send children to school.
Michael Doyle, who is the board’s manager overseeing more than 900 schools in Leinster North and parts of Dublin, gives a recent example of a second level student his staff were involved with who was often missing school two days a week.
"She was being taunted by her peers because of her unkempt appearance and her uniform wasn’t washed as regularly as it should be. When we eventually gained access to the family home, we discovered they had no electricity," he explained.
"We approached the school’s pastoral care team and the St Vincent de Paul and were able to address the issue of non-payment of the electricity. Because the voice of the child was heard, there was an instant improvement in attendance."
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