Áine O’Keeffe
Director, Tusla Education Support Service
Dr Abigail Collins
HSE National Clinical Lead
Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) highlights the rise of casual non-attendance, plus advice from a public health doctor on how to know if your child is well enough to attend school.
According to reports, approximately one in five children and young people in Irish households are missing a month or more of their school year. This rise in school absenteeism is increasingly linked to casual non-attendance (days missed here and there) and is often responsible for a decline in children’s wellbeing and a barrier to achieving their potential.
“Parents are responsible for their child’s school attendance. It is essential that they, and others who can help support attendance, like grandparents, are aware of how many days their children are missing from school,” explains Áine O’Keeffe, Director, TESS. “You may think that one or two days here and there is harmless, but when it adds up to a more significant period of non-attendance, it can have a detrimental effect on a child’s learning, development and wellbeing.”
Campaign for school attendance
In response to this rising trend, the Minister for Education and Youth, Helen McEntee, announced a comprehensive suite of targeted and universal actions to improve school attendance in May 2025. Among the key initiatives being introduced is a national multimedia campaign, launching this week, to promote the importance of regular school attendance to parents and guardians.
“The campaign will help to raise awareness of the research,” explains O’Keeffe. “When children are in school, they get the full benefit of the day: the learning, friendships, fun and routine.”
She adds: “Setting good habits around school attendance early in primary school builds expectations that grow with the child. Even when it feels challenging, fostering a sense of ‘go in anyway’ helps to create a positive pattern and good habit of regular attendance.”
When children are in school, they
get the full benefit of the day: the
learning, friendships, fun and routine.
Balancing health and being present
Since Covid-19, parents are understandably more cautious about sending their children to school with minor illnesses. It can be difficult for parents to know when it’s okay for a child to go in and when they need to stay at home.
Dr Abigail Collins, HSE National Clinical Lead, Child Health Public Health Consultant, offers practical tips on when a child with a minor illness can attend school and when to seek further advice. “Childhood illnesses such as a runny nose, minor cough or a mild sore throat are extremely common, especially in winter. If a child is otherwise well, able to play and concentrate and is eating, drinking and going to the toilet, they should be attending school,” she explains.
“If, however, they have a high temperature 38°C or above, are too unwell to focus or are unusually tired or lethargic, they should stay home. Seek advice from mychild.ie, the local pharmacist or GP.”
Annual vaccination and good hygiene
Dr Collins advises on the importance of keeping children up to date with childhood vaccines, including the flu vaccine, as well as reinforcing the importance of good hygiene by washing hands and covering coughs.
There are some things parents can do to prepare for times when their child becomes unwell. “Parents should keep a thermometer, fever and pain relief medicines and GP contact details close,” she explains. “Seek advice from trusted HSE guidance when symptoms develop, to know how best to support your child and when to seek further advice.”
Providing clarity
TESS is helping families make confident decisions about school attendance by providing clear guidance and support, ensuring every child who can be in school is present, learning and with their peers.
“We want to create a culture where regular school attendance is the expectation. This requires collaboration from parents, grandparents, guardians and the wider community,” O’Keeffe adds. “We believe every day counts — that is why the guidance is on hand so that parents can make confident decisions about school attendance.”
Parents can find guidance on knowing when their child is well enough to attend school here: gov.ie/SchoolAttendance
