AQW 11788/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 13/05/2024
Answered On Date: 17/05/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 7476/22-27, what action his Department is taking to address school attendance rates.

Answer:

I would refer the member to the answer to question AQW 8908/22-27.

This answer will be contained in the Written Answers Booklet for week ending 22 March 2024.

Additionally my Department continues to publish A bulletin for information purposes each month, on the DE website highlighting pupil absence data by Free School Meal Bands.

The Education Welfare Service (EWS) has been subject to industrial action since May 2021 and action short of strike has had an impact on the service’s waiting list and consequently upon attendance rates.

I will be consulting on an "Attendance Matters" strategy in the coming months.