New data from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) shows that since the Covid-19 outbreak, the frequency of children missing at least one month of school has increased dramatically, reports RTE.
The impact of the School Completion Program, which was established to assist kids who are at danger of dropping out of school, was examined in the study.
It concluded that because of the extent and complexity of poverty, further steps are required in some places to help families and children, reports RTE.
According to ESRI Research Professor Emer Smyth, who was interviewed on RTÉ’s News at One, the study revealed a shift in the services needed by kids who were at danger of dropping out of school early after the epidemic.
“The most recent figures we have available are from 2022-2023. For those students in urban DEIS schools at primary level, 43% have missed 20 days or more and a second level it’s 30% of those in the most disadvantaged schools,” reports RTE.
“It’s lower in other schools but it’s still significant,” Prof Smyth said, reports RTE.
She added: “There has been a decline in wellbeing and increase in mental health difficulties, especially anxiety, and growing numbers of young people and children engaged in school avoidance and are anxious or too upset to come to school at all,” she said.
In order to meet the needs of kids who are most at danger of poverty and dropping out of school, Prof. Smyth said that the DEIS program needed to be extended.
“It’s not just socioeconomic disadvantage; a lot of the target children that are being worked with at these schools, they parents may have mental health difficulties or addiction issues,” she said, reports RTE.
“You also have a concentration of disadvantage at the local area level so you mightn’t have as many facilities or supports you would have in a more advantaged area,” reports RTE.
She went on to say that in addition to lowering the remaining financial obstacles and introducing a second tier of the Child Benefit payment, the government should expand its resources for working with pupils who have previously left school.
“We’ve seen the free schoolbooks roll out which is to be welcomed, but there is still issues around uniforms, sports equipment, transition year fees. So, we need to be looking at not just what we do in school, which is really important, but income supports for families, mental health and other supports for parents and community development initiatives to empower more vulnerable areas,” reports RTE.
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