With a school year of 167 days students at second level in Ireland have one of the shortest school years in Europe. One of the aims of the Education Welfare Act 2000 is to increase school attendance. The Education Welfare Act 2000 requires the school principal to keep a record of the attendance or non-attendance on each school day of each student registered at that school. The Principal must inform the Educational Welfare Officer, in writing, when the aggregate number of school days on which a student is absent from a recognised school during a school year is not less than 20. These days include absences for sickness, holidays and any other absences.
When the Education Welfare Officer receives this notice from a Principal they must consult with the student, the parents of the student and any other appropriate person.
A number of schools are introducing systems to help them fulfil their obligation under the Education Welfare Act 2000 to keep an attendance record. The school must be aware of the number of days each student is absent and the reason for that absence. The Board of management of all recognised school must submit a report on the levels of attendance at the school to the educational welfare officer and to the parents' association not later than 6 weeks after the end of each school year.
Section 9 (g) of the Education Act 1998 says that a school shall
'ensure that parents of a student, or in the case of a student who has reached the age of 18 years, the student, have access in the prescribed manner to records kept by that school relating to the progress of that student in his or her education',
To see such records a parent/guardian should ring the school and make an appointment. This appointment should suit both parties and the parent/guardian should be allowed whatever time they need to view these records.
