A new report published today shows that school absenteeism in Ireland remains high.
The report show that over 57,000 students miss school each day. Approximately 31,500 of truants are primary students and 26,000, post-primary students. This equates to a loss of 12 school days per student per year in primary school and 13 days in post-primary school.
The new data, is contained in a National Educational Welfare Board's report which calculates attendance from the academic years 2006/07 to 2007/08.
NEWB's study reveals that about 58,000 or 12 per cent of all primary school students and 57,000 or 17 per cent of post-primary students are absent for 20 days or more per year.
Close to 17,000 pupils are suspended from school every year with another 150 students expelled.
Overall, 15,915 teenagers were suspended from secondary schools in the academic year 2007/08 — along with 1,143 primary pupils.
Rates of non-attendance were found to be higher in special schools and in urban areas. Absenteeism was also higher in vocational, community comprehensive and in disadvantaged schools.
Some 95 per cent of primary schools and 91 per cent of post-primary facilities responded to the NEWB's survey which was published today.
Fine Gael's education spokesman described the absenteeism figures as "disturbing" and warned they may be far worse given that the data used is out of date.
"The true depth of the school absentee problem cannot be known as the figures that are being relied upon are two years old. How can Minister Coughlan hope to get a handle on non-attendance when she doesn't know what she is dealing with?"
However, a spokeswoman for the NEWB rejected Mr Hayes' comments.
"Today’s data is significant because it shows that the percentage of student days lost through absence has remained stable over the last five years," she said.
"The data cannot be used to make comment on year-on-year trends in attendance but it serves as a valuable benchmark for school attendance in Ireland and can be used to monitor non-attendance, expulsion and suspension in all of the country’s primary and post-primary schools."
