Undoubtedly, everybody agrees that regular school attendance should be a priority for all children. Children and youths cannot grow, mature and achieve their full potential without proper schooling. Research shows that children who are absent from school score low in their educational attainment.
Although the Labour government has engaged in fighting absenteeism in schools, like every other government, its approach is, however, questionable and scoring low too.
While there is no doubt that absenteeism from schools requires enforcement, strengthening this is not enough to eradicate absenteeism. Schools have to provide a pastoral care service that aims at addressing absenteeism. More resources are required for colleges and schools to fight absenteeism.
It is the Labour government’s responsibility to ensure that schools are provided with such resources. Unfortunately, the measures implemented so far have not been effective in making the more vulnerable children enjoy full education according to their needs.
Schools have to provide a pastoral care service
The Nationalist Party always believed in education and invested heavily to strengthen the educational system of our country and make it as accessible as possible to all children and youths.
The document ‘For all children to succeed’, published by the PN, shows that its vision was wide and inclusive. We want every single child to succeed in attaining their full potential. Some months ago, the government announced that families earning less than €11,000 a year will be given €400 for each of the first three children and €200 for the others. It is unfair that this measure discriminates between children within the same family.
This is reminiscent of the measure taken in the 1970s by the Labour government, which also limited the children’s allowance to three siblings. Subsequently, the PN in government removed this discrimination.
Moreover, nothing is being done for children who come from families with a yearly income exceeding €11,000.
As soon as Family and Social Solidarity Minister Michael Farrugia announced this allowance, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo hurriedly published the policy on school attendance. It is a policy lacking any innovation that can hardly spur any new action or debate.
There is nothing in it apart from what already exists in the legislation and what is already practised in schools. There is no new initiative to encourage school attendance, no investiment in resources, no new service to show government interest in truly and earnestly combating absenteeism.
Distributing some money to parents is far from enough to persuade them to send their children to school; we need to provide the tools and the services that effectively encourage children to go to school.
Research shows that better attendance improves when schools engage students and parents in positive ways and when schools provide mentors for chronically-absent students.
Actions to fight absenteeism should be different for children in primary schools and those at secondary level. The strategy should have diverse initiatives for primary school students as it is a known fact that early intervention is crucial.
An efficient tracking attendance system and follow up action is essential to mitigate more complex intervention in future.
Parents have also to be roped in the fight against absenteeism. Supporting parents in fighting absenteeism is crucial in improving school attendance rates.
When the school community engages with parents, absenteeism can be addressed through understanding the obstacles families experience in sending their children to school regularly.
Following the restricted measures introduced by a Labour government, it is evident that schools are finding it hard to deal with some challenging students. Labour’s lopsided actions have not sought to address the real issues at stake that are brought about by absenteeism.
Forcing students to return to school without offering pastoral care and professional resources shows the short-sightedness of the Labour government. Although before the election Labour boasted about a road map it now transpires that this was an over-inflated balloon. Unfortunately, children and families are beginning to suffer the consequences.
The Opposition is appealing to the government to extend its intervention to fight absenteeism beyond enforcement and to also come up with a pastoral care plan.
The government should immediately start providing colleges and schools with more resources and more professional pastoral services to help children who fall behind due to absenteeism.
The Labour government is scoring low in its action in favour of vulnerable children. Its rushed action shows lack of depth and commitment to truly address absenteeism in a strategic approach. The Opposition is appealing for the government to change tack and take up this matter more seriously.
George Pullicino is Opposition spokesman for early and compulsory education.