KEY stakeholders and education professionals gathered in Thomond Park for the Tusla Child and Family Agency and Limerick Children and Young People Services Committee (CYPSC) Limerick School Attendance Conference.
The conference was the platform for the launch of resource packages for parents, families, and educators covering all aspects of getting children to attend school.
The event marked the culmination of a-two year interagency collaboration to promote school attendance.
“Research has shown again and again that regular school attendance is vital in helping children get the best possible start in life,” said Aisling O’Neill, Tusla area manager and chair of Limerick CYPSC.
“It lays the foundation for developing good social skills, building relationships, and achieving success later in life. Children who attend school regularly are more likely to stay in school and achieve better educational outcomes.
“The resources launched today will provide a better understanding of barriers to school attendance, for not only our colleagues working in education and childcare but for parents also.”
Among the resources launched was a guide for Limerick educators and practitioners in working with school attendance problems; a resource for parents in navigating school attendance challenges, and a guide for working towards a unified community response to school attendance barriers in Limerick.
Maria Tobin, national manager at Tusla Education Support Services, added that “regular school attendance is critical to a child’s success and parental involvement is the key to regular attendance”.
An online directory of the new resources is available on limerickservices.ie.
