Chronic absenteeism surge in Laois secondary schools where nearly half of lost days unexplained

New figures show an above-average number of days lost by post-primary students in Laois, where the rate of children missing secondary school for more than 20 years is also higher than the national average.

The latest Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) Annual Attendance Report and Student Absence Report for the 2023/2024 school year also reveals that about one and ten children are being taken out of school for holidays.

The report also reveals that Laois secondary schools have no explanation for nearly half of the days lost by pupils.

In Laois, there were 61,704 lost primary school days and 32,548 days missed by post-primary students in the last school year. The findings caused TESS to comment in a statement issued to the Leinster Express / Laois Live that announced the launch of a new campaign to reduce absenteeism.

"Children and young people in Laois are missing a concerning number of school days each year," said 

The data shows for Laois primary schools that the number of days lost by students level represented 8.1% of the total school days in the 2023/24 school year. The national average is 8%.

In Laois post-primary schools, the number of days lost by students represents 12.2% days of the total school days.  That's above the 11.3% national average.

The data published today has shown that there has been a reduction in the level of chronic absenteeism (20+ days missed) in schools but that levels are still higher than pre-pandemic figures:

In Laois primary schools, some 22.5% of students missed 20 days or more. This rose to nearly a quarter, (23.8%), of students in post-primary school missed 20 days or more in the 2023/24 school year.

The report contains reasons why children are missing school. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

Áine O’Keeffe, Director of TESS, speaking at the launch of a nationwide school attendance campaign at Gardiner Street Primary School in Dublin

At primary level, illness was the main standalone reason at 33.6% (7,898 days) for missing school in Laois. However,  8,904 lost days or 37.8%, could not be explained. About one in ten children were taken out of school for holidays during the school term, excluding permitted holidays. A total of 2,680 days, or 11.4% of days were lost for this reason in Laois.

Figures for Laois secondary schools show that 10,808 or 34.1% of days were lost due to illness, with unofficial holidays representing just 682 or 2.1%. The figure for unexplained lost days in Laois was 15,002 or 47.3% of total days missed by secondary school students.

The report shows that the number of students who miss more than 20 school days in secondary school is more than double what it was before the pandemic. 

The problem is improving since the peak of the pandemic years - nearly 45% missed 20 or more days in 2021/22. However, the 23/24 rate in Laois of nearly 24% is more than double the 11% rate of 2019/20.

There was no pandemic surge at primary school chronic absenteeism in Laois, where the figure is now 12.2% compared with 11.7% in Laois. 

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The figures from Laois and other counties have led the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) to launch a national campaign to promote regular school attendance in all counties across Ireland.

TESS says that nationally more than one in five children and young people at primary and post-primary levels miss more than 20 days of their school year.