Short absences from school linked to lower Leaving Cert grades, study finds

Michael Bolton

Spells of school absence of one to two days at age 13 are linked to lower Leaving Certificate grades, a report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has found.

A chronic absence of 20 days or more is linked to a gap of over 80 Leaving Cert points.

Chronic school absence at ages nine and 13 is predictive of depressive symptoms and higher stress levels at both 20 and 25 years, the study found.

Extended absence from school may foster disengagement among more socio-economically disadvantaged students who already have less positive attitudes to school.

The study found that being absent from school might be expected to lead to involvement in risky behaviour, including anti-social behaviour, as young people potentially spend more time without a routine and/or unsupervised by adults.

For progressing to college, those who miss school for 11 or more days a year are 21 percentage points less likely to enter
Higher education by age 20 than those with no missing days.

Missing seven or more days at age nine is associated with significantly lower chances of making the transition to higher education. Similarly, missing seven or more days a year at age 13 lowers the chances of entering higher education.

However, there is no evidence that young people from more advantaged families have greater protection from the negative effects of school absence on higher education entry.

Those who have higher levels of absence at age 13 report poorer physical health at ages 20 and 25, even when taking into account the effect of earlier health, disability and social background.

Commenting on the report, Barnardos Director of Innovation & Development Monica Hynds, said: “In our experience, school is a very positive and often protective factor for the thousands of children we support across the country.

"However, we know first-hand that children in more economically disadvantaged communities can miss school due to a combination of issues such as a struggle with routines; problems within the home including parental adversities such as addiction and domestic violence; their own issues around anxiety and other mental health problems; additional practical difficulties in getting to school, for example those in emergency accommodation living long distances away.

“Schools cannot be expected to tackle the issues alone, or solely with the help of Tusla Education Support Services. While the introduction of a DEIS plus model will certainly help, more needs to be introduced across the community and within homes of children to improve engagement with schools.”