Written question asked by Iris Robinson (Democratic Unionist Party) on Thursday, 15 January 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 27 April 2004. It was answered by Jane Kennedy (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 April 2004 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Dept for Work and Pensions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to tackle truancy from schools in Northern Ireland. (Question tabled while in former Ministerial post in Northern Ireland Office)

Answer: Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to tackle truancy from schools in Northern Ireland. [148770] Jane Kennedy: The responsibility to ensure regular attendance at school rests primarily with parents. Where a school has concerns about a pupil's attendance, a referral can be made to the Education Welfare Service. An officer will normally visit the home to assess the situation and then determine appropriate follow up action based on the underlying reasons for poor attendance. The Department of Education has recently made funds available to the Education and Library Boards for a computerised database for the Education Welfare Service aimed, among other things, at tracking and monitoring pupils whose attendance is a cause for concern. In addition a pilot project aimed at promoting the habit of regular attendance at an early age is currently under way in a number of primary schools. Following a full evaluation of this project the Department will consider if it could usefully be extended to other schools.

Secondary information