Action urged over poor school attendance

The statistics came to light following research conducted by Mr McCrea and his party colleagues Roy Beggs and John McCallister.

"Lisburn's District Council Area had one of the higher rates of poor attendance at school for Post-Primary, at 117.7 per thousand – around 12%," explained Mr McCrea.

"When analysing the attendance by ward, it was discovered that Hilden had the worst attendance with 312.5 per thousand, and that was followed by Hillhall at 254.7 per thousand. Hillsborough had the best attendance in that age group, followed by Dunmurry.

"When reviewing poor attendance for children enrolled in Primary School, it was discovered that Lisburn was regrettably fifth worst out of the District Council Areas for attendance, at a rate of 50.3 per thousand who had less than 85% attendance – this time with Colin Glen ranking worst and Drumbo, impressively, one of the few wards with consistent attendance beyond 85%."

Mr McCrea continued: "If parents frequently allow absences from school during a child's primary education, which has been revealed to be mostly due to minor ailments, as illness was the top reason for lack of attendance, the result is a devaluation of school itself. It therefore only stands to reason that we would see a drop in attendance once those children grow up and enter post-primary.

"Overall, Lisburn is below the Northern Ireland average for poor attendance, and Lagan Valley has approximately 32% of its population with a least a degree or equivalent – making us statistically the third highest population in Northern Ireland with a higher education. Yet one in five Lagan Valley residents has no qualifications at all.

"School is the key element in our children and young people's lives that develops them for employment, career advancement, and improves their social skills. Also employers are now taking school attendance into consideration when hiring a young person, so it is essential that children and young people develop good habits early."

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