Absenteeism 'far too high' as 55,000 miss school every day
- Published: 12 December 2008
Absenteeism 'far too high' as 55,000 miss school every day
By John Walshe Education Editor
Friday December 12 2008
School absenteeism is running at "unacceptably high levels" says a report which shows that more than 100,000 pupils miss more than 20 days schooling every year.
The problem is much worse in disadvantaged schools where more than half the pupils are absent for 20 or more days.
The report shows a clear link between non-attendance and underachievement in schools.
It was compiled by Eoghan MacAogain from the Educational Research Centre who analysed attendance data from 2003/04 to 2005/06 for the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB).
The report says that tackling absenteeism is a national issue. The percentage of student days lost through absence is running at over 6pc in primary schools and around 8pc in post-primary schools.
Over 55,000 students miss school each day -- 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.
The report shows 11pc of primary pupils (1 in 10) and 17pc of post-primary students (about 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.
Rates of non-attendance are 30pc higher in towns and cities than they are in rural areas and absences of 20 days or more are 70pc higher. Non-attendance is 25pc higher in vocational schools than in secondary schools.
Dr MacAoghan pointed out that much non-attendance was brought about for "acceptable" reasons such as illness or family events while some of it was for reasons that were "unacceptable". The data also shows reported expulsions are uncommon. Only 134 expulsions from school were recorded in 2005/6, 16 in primary school and 118 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.
- John Walshe Education Editor
Interim Arrangements for Teacher Substitution
- Published: 12 December 2008
The Department of Education and Science has announced interim arrangements for teacher substitution in primary schools. There will be substitute cover for teachers on uncertified sick leave other than on the first day of absence.
In a school where more than one teacher is absent on the first day of uncertified sick leave, substitute cover will be provided for the second and subsequent teachers that are absent. In schools with two teachers or less cover will be provided where any classroom teacher is absent.
The INTO said the union would co-operate with the proposal from the Department as a gesture of good will. "This is an interim solution," said INTO General Secretary John Carr, "which will enable us to reduce the effects of the budget cutbacks on children." He said further talks on the issue of substitution would take place in January.
The INTO called on the Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe, to reciprocate the union's goodwill by entering into talks on school staffing.
Mr Carr attributed today's proposal from the Department on substitution to the recent campaign organised by the INTO with the support of parents and school management. "The consequences of the budget cutbacks for children were obvious to parents and management and their whole hearted support for the protest marches was a clear signal to government that something had to be done," said Carr.
Mr Carr said this was the first achievement of the INTO's campaign against the budget cutbacks. "It won't be the last," he said. "But," he said, "it is not a resolution of the education cutbacks in the budget and not why people marched."
ENDS.
Circulars to issue confirming interim arrangements for substitution in schools for rest of school year
- Published: 12 December 2008
Source: D.E.S
Minister for Education and Science, Batt O'Keeffe TD confirmed that the circulars setting out interim arrangements for substitution in schools for rest of school year are to be published by his Department early next week.
This follows the conclusion of discussions with the management bodies of post-primary and primary schools concerning proposals they made in relation to aspects of the current arrangements for supervision and substitution and related matters where savings and efficiencies can be made. These included the identification by post-primary management bodies of annual savings of €16 million on substitution costs and how these savings can be made not only in the current year but on a continuing basis in future years.
Last week the Minister indicated in the Dáil that he was prepared to approve interim arrangements for certain substitution cover in schools for the remainder of the current school year and to make limited additional funding available. Under these arrangements each post-primary school will have available to it a defined number of hours of substitution cover outside of the existing supervision and substitution scheme.
In primary schools there will be substitute cover for teachers on uncertified sick leave other than on the first day of absence. In a school where more than one teacher is absent on the first day of uncertified sick leave, substitute cover will be provided for the second and subsequent teachers that are absent. In schools with two teachers or less cover will be provided where any classroom teacher is absent. The interim arrangements for primary schools have an estimated cost of €2m.
The Minister announced last week that in the period until the end of the school year, there will be a full review of the substitution and supervision scheme and related matters in conjunction with the school management bodies and teacher unions with a view to making up the additional expenditure and thereby ensuring that the budgetary parameters are met.
ENDS
Teachers' protests
- Published: 12 December 2008
Source : Irish Times (Letters)
If absent teachers are not substituted, it is the weakest students who will suffer most. It probably doesn't make much difference to a bright, motivated student whether he or she is in a class of 20 or 40, but a weak or socially disadvantaged student will require more individual attention. They will not get this in larger classes.
I was disappointed to hear Marian Finucane and Nóirín Hegarty on the radio on Sunday reminiscing about how large classes were when they were going to school - the implication being that they themselves did okay in spite of this. They didn't say that because of the large class sizes approximately 25 per cent of their peers grew up to be illiterate adults.
It frustrates me that there seems to be a common acceptance (media included) that the advances made in education over the past few years were a luxury which could be discarded at the first sign of a downturn, and that every time teachers protest about the flaws in our education system they have a self-serving agenda.
I am not a teacher and I no longer have any children going to primary school, but I do appreciate the necessity of early education as a social investment. - Yours, etc,
TOM FARRELL,
Forrest Rd,
Swords.
'Language of educational apartheid'
- Published: 12 December 2008
Source : Irish Times (Letters)
The bonus scheme at Leaving Cert is a small incentive aimed at encouraging pupils to take the exam through Irish. However, Ms Holmquist misrepresents the facts on this matter. According to the State Examinations Commission, the 10 per cent is only given to students who fully complete the written examinations of certain subjects through Irish and who have received 75 per cent or less marks. In other subjects the bonus is either 5 per cent, 3 per cent or none at all. The bonus also reduces along a scale for those who attain 75 per cent or more.
Ms Holmquist correctly sees this as positive discrimination, but fails to see how Irish-medium pupils are also negatively discriminated against. From the Language Commissioner's 2007 investigation into the Department of Education and Science, "Of the 32 subjects for which syllabuses were available in English for the Leaving Certificate (excluding the specific examination subjects of English and Irish) Irish versions of 19 of those were not available".
Also how many Leaving Cert. study guides, supplements in national newspapers, online supports are available for pupils through Irish and how many Irish-language grind schools are there? The fact is that despite these disadvantages Irish-medium pupils sometimes outperform their English-medium counterparts. Colin Baker's research outlines that there are noticeable benefits to bilingualism at a young age. These benefits are manifested in Ireland in Irish-medium schools and implemented through the internationally respected education model of early total immersion, not to mention the commitment and hard work of the parents, staff and the pupils themselves. - Le meas,
SEÁN Ó HADHMAILL,
Plás Uí Artaigh,
Baile Átha Cliath 8.
Madam, - In her rage against Gaelscoileanna, Kate Holmquist omits some important facts.
The 10 per cent bonus in examinations for students taking them through Irish (partly) makes up for the dire lack of textbooks and the shortage of appropriately qualified teachers in a wide range of subjects. Gaelscoileanna are the fruit of local voluntary initiatives, with parents and teachers contributing an immense amount of free time and labour to get them up and running.
This is especially true of Gaelscoileanna in less advantaged areas like Ballymun and West Belfast. Many are housed in rotting, prefabricated buildings a decade or more after opening. Gaelscoileanna welcome students of all religious, ethnic and national backgrounds. By promoting genuine bilingualism they truly educate children for a multicultural society. Those involved with Gaelscoileanna are accustomed to government apathy, civil service obstruction and the contempt of lazy journalists. But to compare their patient hard work on behalf of the Irish language with the criminal and racist system of apartheid is shameful indeed. - Yours, etc,
JOHN HARRINGTON,
Ivanhoe Road,
Liverpool.
A bhean uasal, - I read with dismay Kate Holmquist's article on the "scandal" that extra marks are awarded to students who study Leaving Certificate subjects through Irish.
Any student with a basic grasp of primary school Irish is capable of successfully studying a subject through Irish in second level. This is not wealth or race dependent. (A Vietnamese immigrant to Ireland has recently proved that). Thus there is no apartheid.
Ms Holmquist maintains she appreciates the Irish language. Is this only as long as others make the effort to keep it alive?
In an era (and this very recent) when more people seem to be interested in and proud of their national tongue, I would have thought extra marks for subjects done through Irish would be welcomed by those who genuinely appreciate our language and I am disappointed that someone should make efforts in our national newspaper to undermine one of the few incentives in this country to use it.
Ms Holmquist rages that "this is positive discrimination, and it wouldn't be tolerated anywhere else".
A little nod to our history might explain to Ms Holmquist why promotion of our almost extinguished national language is necessary. This isn't anywhere else. - Is mise le meas,
DÓNAL DE PUINSE,
Waterfall,
Near Cork
