Northern Ireland school absences rose significantly in year the first full school year after Covid lockdowns
The 2021/22 attendance statistics in Northern Ireland show that almost 10% of school days were missed by pupils due to absence.However, as most pupils wereDuring a subsequent lockdown, which began in January 2021, pupils learning remotely at home were marked present.
However, around a third of absences were unauthorised - in which the school did not receive any reason why a pupil was off or approve their absence.Special schools had the highest rate of absence with around 15% of school days missed by pupils, but rates also rose in both primaries and post-primaries.The vice-principal of Brooklands Primary in Dundonald, Fiona Smart, told BBC News NI there were likely to be a number of reasons why absences had risen.
She added: "We're also seeing far more children presenting with special educational needs and it's taking longer to get children the right levels of support. "Parents have also been more wary of sending their children to school at times where we saw increased levels of viruses or infections, as highlighted in the news."Geoff Dunn said the issues highlighted the need for services such as school counselling and nurture groups
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