Sylvia Hermon
UUP, North Down
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidences of unauthorised absence were recorded in each education and library board area in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years; and what advice was provided by his Department for schools on dealing with persistent cases.
Maria Eagle
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)
Information on unauthorised absence has only been collated since 2003-04. The figures for 2005-06 have not yet been compiled, but should be available within the next few weeks.
| Incidences( 1) of unauthorised absence by education and library board, 2003-04—2004-05 | ||||
| Academic year | ||||
| 2003-04 | 2004-05 | |||
| Board | Incidences of unauthorised absence | Incidences of unauthorised absence as a percentage of all possible attendance sessions | Incidences of unauthorised absence | Incidences of unauthorised absence as a percentage of all possible attendance sessions |
| Belfast | 290,492 | 2.8 | 266,158 | 2.3 |
| Western | 233,333 | 2.5 | 283,982 | 2.8 |
| North Eastern | 233,691 | 2.0 | 254,035 | 2.0 |
| South Eastern | 207,860 | 2.2 | 198,020 | 2.0 |
| Southern | 322,734 | 2.7 | 311,282 | 2.5 |
| (1) A pupil's attendance status is recorded twice over the course of the day, by monitoring during the morning and afternoon session. Thus, a pupil who is absent for a full day is recorded as having two incidences of absence. | ||||
Responsibility to ensure regular attendance at school rests primarily with parents. When a school has concerns about a pupil's attendance, a referral can be made to the Education Welfare Service (EWS). This service provides advice for schools in dealing with persistent non-attenders.
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