Higher proportion of children in care absent from school, according to research

Kenneth Fox

A higher proportion of children in care were absent from primary or post primary school in the 2018/19 school year for more than 20 days (11 per cent) compared with all children (7 per cent).

It is part of new research from The Central Statistics Office (CSO) called 'Educational Attendance and Attainment of Children in Care, 2018-2023'.

The release looks at educational attendance and attainment of children in care in January 2023 and children who left care since April 2018.

The research found a higher proportion of children in care enroled at primary school in the academic year 2021/22 were enroled in a special school or in a special class attached to a mainstream primary school (14 per cent) compared with all children (3 per cent).

They said utilising available and relevant enrolment records, 6 per cent of children in care enroled at school repeated one or more school years in primary or post primary education, compared with just under 2 per cent of all children.

Of the children in care who started post primary education between 2012 and 2015, 28 per cent left school early without completing the Leaving Certificate. The percentage for all children was lower at 8 per cent.

Approximately 90 per cent of both children who left care and all children (and aged 18 to 22 by January 2023 for either group) were in substantial employment, enroled in school, or in further or higher education for each of the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.

More specifically, for children that left care since April 2018 and were aged 18 to 22 by January 2023, 37 per cent were enroled in further education and 15 per cent in higher education in 2021, where some in further education may have subsequently progressed to higher education.

Of all children that were also aged 18 to 22 by January 2023, 11 per cent were enroled in further education and 37 per cent in higher education in 2021.

The release is based on administrative data provided to the CSO from Tusla, the Department of Education, the Department for Social Protection, SOLAS, Quality and Qualifications Ireland, the Higher Education Authority and the Revenue Commissioner.

The report contains data divided over four chapters, detailing general characteristics, educational attendance, educational attainment, and further outcomes of children in care and all children.

Commenting on the report, Karola Graupner, statistician in the statistical systems' coordination unit, said: "This pilot Frontier Series release provides insights into educational attendance and attainment of children in care in January 2023 and children who left care since April 2018 and compares them to all children.

"Children can enter care with the voluntary agreement of their parents or under a court order. When a child is in the care of Tusla, the child can be placed in foster care, including relative foster care, in residential care or in special care."

However, among children who left care since April 2018 and were aged 18 and over by January 2023, those that left school without completing the Leaving Certificate, were less likely to be in either substantial employment or education in 2021 (66 per cent) compared with those who did not leave school early (95 per cent)."