6.3.3 Attendance and retention

6.3.3 Attendance and retention

There has been little progress in increasing retention rates in DEIS post-primary schools

One of the key targets in DEIS 2017 is to continue to improve retention rates in post-primary DEIS schools, from their current rate of 82.7% to the national norm, currently 90.2%, by 2025. Over the period to which this report refers, there has been little progress in this regard; in 2016, the retention rate in DEIS post-primary schools was 84.4% and in 2020 it was 84.8% (Table 6.7). During the period 2016-2019, the gap in retention to Leaving Certificate between DEIS and non-DEIS schools increased from 8.5% to 9.3% (Table 6.7) but returned closer to 2016-2018 levels in 2020.

Table 6.7: Retention rates in DEIS post-primary schools: 2016-2020

	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Retention rate in DEIS post-primary schools (%) LC completion	84.4%	85.0%	84.7%	83.8%	84.8%
Gap in retention rates: DEIS vs non- DEIS post-primary schools	8.5%	8.5%	8.7%	9.3%	8.6%

Source: Statistics Section, Department of Education

111 Reading self-concept includes students’ perceptions of both their own competence in reading and whether they encountered difficulties in learning how to read.

School attendance rates in DEIS primary and post-primary schools remain a concern

The Department has ongoing engagement with the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) in relation to the promotion of school attendance, participation and retention among primary pupils and post-primary students. TESS comprises three strands: the statutory Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the two school support services: the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) and the School Completion Programme (SCP).

The analysis of school attendance by Tusla raises concern in relation to DEIS schools. The most recent report112, which is based on 2017/18 data, found that non-attendance, twenty-day absences, expulsions and suspensions were highest among DEIS Band 1 schools (when compared to DEIS Band 2 schools, non-DEIS urban schools, DEIS rural schools and non-DEIS rural schools). DEIS Band 2 schools generally had the second highest rates on these measures. In relation to post-primary schools, the report found that non-attendance, twenty-day absences, expulsions and suspensions were significantly and substantially higher among DEIS post-primary schools compared with non-DEIS post-primary schools.