A lack of social workers in government primary schools may have led to a gradual increase in absenteeism after a consistent dip in previous years.

The rate of absenteeism had dropped by half after professionals were introduced into the system, according to Sandra Cortis from the Education Directorate.

In 2008, 2.12 per cent of students were at some point absent during the scholastic year without justification.

By 2010, that figure dropped to one per cent after social workers were introduced into the system.

In 2011, the rate climbed slightly to 1.07 per cent as four out of 10 social workers started working reduced hours. It climbed again in 2012, although the exact figures have not yet been released.

The trend indicates that the movements in absenteeism were correlated with the presence of social workers who visited children at home to understand the root of the problem, Ms Cortis, who is the service manager of education and psychosocial services, said.

“Very often, the problem goes beyond the child not coming to school and may include physical and mental health conditions, lack of awareness on the importance of education and unhealthy family relationships. The child may fear leaving his mother alone because of domestic violence, for instance. The social worker in these cases becomes the link between the school and the home. The statistics showed us this clearly,” said Ms Cortis.

Last month, absenteeism featured in a government report issued for consultation. Yana Mintoff Bland, the government’s consultant on poverty, listed it as one of the educational aspects that had to be addressed.

The child may fear leaving his mother alone because of domestic violence

With statistics in hand, Ms Cortis pointed out that during the scholastic year starting 2008 the rate of absenteeism in State primary schools meant that 442 out of 20,878 children missed school without justification at some point in the scholastic year. The following year, starting 2009, social workers were introduced in primary schools. Each of the government’s 10 colleges, which include a chain of schools, were allocated one social worker who operated with a multidisciplinary team and followed up children who did not turn up for school. Regularly updated school records made such children easy to identify and monitor, she said.

Unlike other professionals in the team – which included teachers, guidance teachers, psychologists and career advisers – social workers had the authority to visit children at home.

In the 2009 scholastic year, the absenteeism rate dropped to 1.55 per cent, or 313 children out of 20,238 students, and in the scholastic year starting 2010 it dropped to one per cent, or 196 out of 19,831 students.

But the gradual decrease started rising the following year when social workers in four of the 10 colleges went out on reduced hours, Ms Cortis said. That year, the rate of absenteeism increased again to 1.07 per cent and preliminary figures for last year’s rates showed a further increase.

Ms Cortis said that, this year, three more social workers had been employed to make up for the shortfall.