Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
EVERY MORNING ACROSS this country, hundreds of children wake up filled with dread.
Their school uniforms sit untouched, school bags unpacked; many will have had a restless night, slept little and possibly had vivid nightmares; some will wake to cramps and headaches, their stomachs twisted in anxiety; yet others will feel nauseated, hands clammy, skin scratchy and uncomfortable.
There is an impact on the whole family. Stressed parents may still need to attend work even if their child is not in school. But, despite their parent’s best efforts, these children feel unable to walk through the school gates, to enter a classroom, to open their schoolbooks. This is school avoidance, one of the fastest-growing mental health and education challenges we face today.
CDI’s Online Toolkit to address School Avoidance was developed with colleagues in Tallaght to provide evidence-informed supports to parents and professionals. The Toolkit is one element of our wider ‘Nova Youth Mental Health programme’ which offers multi-level mental health interventions to children and young people in nine schools in Dublin 24. This followed earlier research, which found significant numbers of young people with mild and moderate health issues were not receiving the required supports (McCarthy and Comiskey, 2019), and recognised the need for early intervention in schools.
Research shows that chronic absenteeism has doubled since the pandemic, with mental health struggles, bullying and additional learning needs often at the root. Whilst the pandemic undoubtedly exacerbated some of these dynamics, resulting in some children lacking the capacity to manage social situations, this is not a new phenomenon. It was documented as early as the 1930s.
There has always been a small proportion of children whose school attendance was erratic, unreliable and easily interrupted. We now however have a more sophisticated understanding of school avoidance; there is more research on absenteeism, and we are more discerning in how we interpret children’s behaviour.
When working with children who may be avoiding school, professionals try to avoid terms like ‘school refusal’ or ‘truancy’, as they imply a deliberate decision on the part of the child, whereas ‘school avoidance’ acknowledges the underlying emotional struggles and complex underpinning dynamics which these students face. Indeed, the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) has recently released guidance for schools in which they provide definitions for the terms ‘reluctant attendance’ and ‘school avoiding behaviour’. The language that we use with children and their families is important, in order to avoid any sense of blame.
So, what causes this level of anxiety about school? Generally, there will be a combination of factors present, impacting the child, family and school levels, the cumulation of these resulting in school avoidance. Identifying risk factors for school avoidance and early indicators of emotional anxiety maximise the chances of effectively enabling the child to re-engage in school, and CDI’s Online Toolkit offers both teachers and parents practical tips on how to do this.
When school avoidance persists over a period of time to the extent that behaviours become embedded, or where underlying factors are complex, schools will often seek the advice and support of outside agencies. Schools are required to report children who miss over 20 school days, after which the school may ask specialist supports to intervene, specifically Tusla’s Educational Support Services (TESS).
Most schools, however, are very proactive in identifying early signs of school avoidance, and will make efforts to encourage and enable their educational participation. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children have a right to education, and it is widely accepted that educational participation not only protects children from a range of negative outcomes during their developmental years, but also significantly shapes their likely trajectory as adults.
School is not only where children and young people learn specific subjects and prepare for exams; it’s also where they practice their early social skills, where they learn to negotiate and compromise, and how they come to understand friendship and loyalty. Educational participation is a hugely important aspect of children’s developmental journey, and so early recognition and intervention for those struggling to attend, is vital.
A wide range of organisations work with children who are experiencing difficulty in attending school, but navigating this system (for example, knowing who to contact and when) can pose its own set of challenges for both busy teachers and overwhelmed parents. CDI’s Toolkit and associated links aim to support parents and those working with children and young people to access the right support at the right time. It reminds teachers to ensure that decisions should be agreed with everyone concerned on board (‘nothing about me without me’) and advises parents to ask questions and seek clarity.
The Toolkit explains a graduated approach to intervening. This means encouraging schools to utilise their own resources and expertise before looking for personalised or specialist support. A continuous cycle of activity is recommended, to include assessing needs, planning to meet those needs with all concerned, implementing these plans, reviewing their effectiveness, and adjusting actions as required.
Focusing on the child’s interests and strengths is important, and an incremental return is recommended where absenteeism has been established. For some children, attending once a week for a specific subject or teacher will be an achievement. The Toolkit reminds parents and teachers to build on this and give young people every opportunity for success to build confidence.
The Department of Education has developed a focus on wellbeing in schools, which is a very positive initiative. TESS staff are highly skilled and take their commitment to working in partnership with children and families seriously, whilst organisations such as local youth services and Jigsaw offer important supports. There is a lot of great work happening.
However, many schools are under-resourced, both financially and in terms of staff, with teacher vacancies creating pressures and limiting opportunities to engage in non-classroom responsibilities and extracurriculars. Most teachers do not receive training in additional needs, and there are gaps in their knowledge of local service provision. Schools must be resourced to provide flexible re-engagement plans, and all professionals working in communities must be trained in trauma-informed approaches. Most importantly, we must stop blaming children and families and start supporting them with effective solutions.
The government has recognised the challenge of school avoidance, but recognition alone is not enough. We need urgent investment in targeted interventions — ones we know are effective. Our Toolkit is one step forward, along with the other aspects of our Nova Youth Mental Health programme, and the interventions which partners around the country have developed, but these must be part of a national, cohesive strategy to ensure every child’s right to education is delivered, no matter their challenges.
Educational participation is a crucial component in children’s development. It is vital that we intervene now with evidence-based interventions and dynamic support, to ensure the best possible outcomes, not only for today’s children, but for tomorrows’ society.
Marian Quinn is the CEO of the Childhood Development Initiative (CDI), a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families in Ireland. CDI’s School Avoidance Online Toolkit launches today and is available on www.cdi.ie/schoolavoidancetoolkit.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say