An 'unprecedented' number of children are chronically absent from school in Northern Ireland, missing more than 10% of the year.
The impact of the Covid pandemic has resulted in "unprecedented" numbers of children chronically absent from school, the Department of Education has said.Chronic absence is classed as missing more than 10% of the year.some pupils never fully returned to school after lockdownsAn investigation by Dame Rachel de Souza suggested persistent absence from school was at a rate in England almost twice as high as before the pandemic.
Previous reports from the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People also said thatMost pupils in Northern Ireland were taught remotely out of school for months in 2020 and in early 2021. The Department of Education is carrying out an equality screening on a new way for schools to record the attendance of pupils ahead of the 2022-23 school year.Image source,The Department of Education is hoping to reinforce the importance of regular attendance at school"Severe chronic" absence is if a pupil misses over 20% of school.