A new computerised swipe-card system, which monitors pupils entering and leaving school each day, is to be used to counter the widespread problem of truancy among pupils.
One second-level school in Co Kildare has already introduced the system, and others are expected to follow. Traditionally Irish schools have tried to prevent "mitching" or non-attendance by calling a roll each day, but the new system pits persistent "mitchers" against the power of technology.
Students using the system are provided with a personalised coded ID card that they must swipe or scan through a machine as they arrive each day. If any student leaves the school premises during the day they must also swipe the card. This information is gathered on a central computer, and teachers and principals can refer to this electronic roll call at any time during the day.
The computer will highlight any pupils who are in danger of breaching the Education Welfare Act, which governs student attendance. E-mails and text messages about any difficulties can then be sent out to parents. The system can also be used to monitor the punctuality of students. The system is produced by the Dublin IT company, Ergo. Staff at the first school to introduce it, Scoil Mhuire in Athy, said they were confident it could make a difference.
One, Mr James Reeves, said: "Naturally school attendance is a major concern for all involved in second-level education. What struck us at Scoil Mhuire was the amount of teacher time that went into checking, recording and following up on student absences." He said using computers to tackle the problem left teachers to focus on cases causing specific concern.
Mr Darren Costello of Ergo said the system would result in an improved version of the current roll-call system. "Parents are becoming increasingly concerned about their children's school attendance records," he said.
The new system arrives at a time when the State is having serious difficulties coping with the truancy problem. The National Education Welfare Board is now dealing with the issue, but due to serious understaffing and other delays many schools around the State cannot get attendance officers to deal with their problems.