To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 7703/22-27, to detail the assistance provided to (i) schools; and (ii) parents to support children not attending school due to emotionally-based school avoidance.

My Department, the Education Authority and schools have a range of measures in place to support pupils. These include DE’s “Miss School. Miss Out Strategy”, “The Challenge of Improving Pupil Attendance at School - Case Studies paper” and the Absence Tiers Guidance. The Education and Training Inspectorate also published a series of case studies in 2016 which schools can continue to draw upon.

I am conscious of the increasing challenges that are adversely affecting pupil attendance and my officials are currently reviewing and refreshing the existing attendance strategy in order to take account of these circumstances.

My officials are also working with the Education Authority to ensure that the new school administration system, “Education Information Solutions” (EdiS), is able to facilitate the recording of absences at a more granular level. That work is continuing.