| Part 2: National
and Education Authority Information |
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| 1. National
information on attendance and absence in primary schools |
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| Attendance
in primary schools, across all stages, averaged 94%.
Absence across all stages averaged 6%;
almost all absence was authorised. The average attendance
figure for each stage of primary schools was close to
this overall average figure of 94%. |
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| Put another
way, the figure of 6% absence in primary schools
is equivalent to each primary pupil being absent for 21
half days out of a school session of 380 half days.
That would be twoschool weeks out of 38. Obviously the
situation was more complex than this because some pupils
were absent more than 21half days and others were absent
for fewer half days. |
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| The level of
attendance and absence is relatively stable between
1995/96, 1996/97 and 1997/98. |
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|
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| 2. National
information on attendance and absence in secondary
schools |
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| Attendance
in secondary schools, across all stages, averaged
89%. Absence across all stages averaged 11%. |
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| Put another
way, the figure of 11% absence in secondary
schools is equivalent to each secondary school pupil
being absent for 43 half days out of a school
session of 380 half days. That would be more than
fourschool weeks out of 38. |
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| Obviously
the situation was more complex than this because some
pupils were absent more than 43half days and others were
absent for fewer half days. |
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| Attendance
and absence in secondary schools is stable between
1995/96, 1996/97 and 1997/98. |
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|
|
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| The overall
picture in secondary schools, unlike primary schools,
does vary by stage. It is therefore worth looking at more
closely. The average attendance figure at each stage in
secondary schools showed a decline from S1 to S5 of about
6 percentage points. |
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|
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| The average
figure for attendance in P7 was 94%. The figure for S1
was 92%. The fall in attendance between primary and
secondary sectors is even more striking if the figure for
attendance in P7 (94%) is compared with the figure for S4
of 85%. |
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