Message to Parents about the importance of satisfactory attendance at school

Béim ar fhreastal laethúil Emphasis on Daily Attendance

Classes start in Coláiste Oiriall at 8.50 am daily and students should be on the premises by 8.40 at the latest. It is so important for children to understand the importance of being punctual. Even missing a few minutes each day can add up to many hours over the school year.

One of the most important things your child can do to achieve academic success is also one of the most basic: going to school every day.  Your child’s attendance is one of the biggest factors influencing his/her academic success.

By making your child’s school attendance a priority, you will be taking an important step in supporting your child’s school success and setting a good example. Remember everyday counts. Being present every day and being punctual is a soft skill worth developing.

Cad chuige go bhfuil freastal sármhaith tábhachtach sa mheánscoil? Why is excellent attendance important in secondary school?

• To learn
• To have fun
• To make new friends
• To experience new things
• To achieve in examinations
• To get qualifications
• To develop new skills (sport, cooking, technology, computing)
• To build confidence and self-esteem
• To have the best possible start in life

Cad iad na fadhbanna a d’fhéadfadh a bheith ag scoláire a chailleann barraíocht laethanta ar scoil? What problems do you think students who miss too much school might have?

• Be lonely
• Become isolated from their friends
• Underachieve in exams
• Get into bad habits and or anti-social behaviour due to boredom
• They may find it more difficult to get the job that they would enjoy when older
• Learning becomes more difficult for them when they miss a few days from school
• They could develop a negative attitude to school attendance generally
• They could become overwhelmed with the thought of return to school.
• They could be inclined to take additional free days without any reason

How many school days are there in the school year for secondary students?

166 or 45% of the days in the year

How many classes do students have in a week?

28

How many classes do you miss in the school year if you are absent ten school days?

56

How many classes do you miss in the school year if you are absent fifteen school days?

84

3 Cheist Three Questions

What is considered normal or satisfactory attendance?

96% or no more than 7 days’ absence

How can you catch up on work that you have missed in 40 classes that you have missed (7 days)?

It is extremely difficult to catch up with all the work missed.

What is the definition of chronic attendance?

Absent 10% of the school days or 17 days in a school year.

Eochairphointí Key Points

You may think that 90% attendance is satisfactory, but it is not. Students will miss out on 17 days teaching and over 100 classes.

Absenteeism will have a drastic impact on your learning, and it is impossible to catch up with the work in all those classes.

Students are required by law to attend school for 166 days per year. The government states that every student’s attendance should be at least 96%

Cad é atá mícheart le bheith mall? What is wrong with being late?

• Being late is impolite, and wastes other students’ time by disrupting class
• It reduces student’s ability to complete homework/classwork properly
• Student can become lethargic and lazy.
• Student puts himself under pressure hurrying around trying to catch up with things

Cad é mar a théann freastal ar scoil do do mhac/iníon?

How does your son or daughter get on with school attendance?

Cad chuige go bhfuil sé tábhachtach gan laethanta saoire a ghlacadh le linn an téarma scoile?

Why is it important not to take holidays during the school term?

• You could miss an entire topic that would be central to a question that may appear on the examination.
• There is a gap in your knowledge
• Teachers are unable to go back over material covered in class while you were absent
• Teachers have a limited amount of time because they have long courses to cover.

Caidé le déanamh má chailleann tú amach ar obair scoile mar bhí tú ás láthair? What to do if you miss out on schoolwork while you are absent?

• Ask friends in class what work was covered when you were absent
• Get a copy of notes from friends that were distributed in the classes when you were absent?
• Check Microsoft Teams to see if notes or homework have been uploaded by the teacher
• It is not realistic to expect the teacher to re-teach work that you have missed when you were absent
• Teachers of course will support and help the small number of students who suffer serious illnesses to maximise their education in every way possible.

Reachtaíocht Legislation

Under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 the Principal must maintain a record of the attendance or non-attendance of students Coláiste Oiriall is obliged to report to the National Education Welfare Board when a student has reached 20 days absence. We are obliged to report concerns about a student’s attendance. This obligation exists to protect children’s education welfare.

Buntáistí na Poncúlachta Benefits of punctuality

• Shows you are organised
• You respect your peers and teachers
• You manage your time efficiently and achieve your goals.
• Shows your strong character and that you are driven
• It gives you time to plan your day
• It reduces stress and removed the anxiety of being late
• It builds your self-discipline and self-confidence
• It shows that you are reliable and dependable
• It indicates that a student is taking school and class seriously.
• It strengthens consistency and a positive attitude
• You recognise the value and importance of time management
• It shows that you respect important social rules and conventions

Buntáistí Fhreastail Laethúil  Benefits of Daily Attendance

Ardchaighdeán a bhaint amach (Achievement) students who attend school regularly, are more likely to perform better academically than students who don’t attend school regularly.

Deiseanna (Opportunity)  being in school every day gives children a chance to learn more about many topics in different subjects and this teaching cannot be repeated

Pobal Scoile (School Community) just by being present at school, your child becomes an important member of our school community, learning valuable social skills and developing a broader world view.

Tábhacht an Oideachais (Importance of Education) Your commitment to school attendance will also send a message to your child that education is a priority for your family and that going to school every day is a critical part of educational success.

 Cad é is féidir leat a dhéanamh? What you can do?

As a parent or guardian, it is possible to plan ahead in order to limit your child’s absences and make school attendance a priority.  You can do this in the following ways:

• Help your child get to school on time every day. Babysitting, problems with a car, traffic and the weather are not really satisfactory reasons to miss school. Frequently coming to school late makes it difficult for your child to catch up with classwork and homework in first class.
• Check each night to see that your child understands and completes the day’s homework assignments.
• Stay involved with your child’s daily experiences at school by asking how the school day went, and then listening carefully to what your child shares with you both the successes and struggles.
• Try and locate potential sources of anxiety if your child frequently appears upset or reluctant to go to school
• Keep updated on school events and announcements. Read the school documents and correspondence that your child brings home and take note of important announcements and dates, such as parent-teacher meetings. Take note of all the Komeer messages.
• Try to limit the amount of time that your child misses from school due to medical appointments. If possible, avoid scheduling doctor’s appointments during the school day.
• Schedule family events with your child’s school schedule in mind. Plan holiday celebrations or family trips during weekends or school holidays.

Ag cur an scoil ar an eolas maidir le hasláithreachas

Notifying absences to Coláiste Oiriall

Report absences immediately by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and write a brief note in the back of your child’s journal the following day when he/she returns to school. Verbal explanations are not sufficient.

Absences which are notified by the parent to the school are recorded as Explained Absences. Absences without notification are recorded as an Unexplained Absences. We expect that all absences will be explained absences.

Príomhoide Choláiste Oiriall