No doubt you have already heard the reports regarding a school attendance reform in the draft programme for government, proposing a link up with child benefit.
The proposal, which is currently being reviewed by the Department of Social Protection, has come in for widespread criticism already, with suggestions that the move would be unfair on vulnerable families.
One person who shared this view is Paul Mooney, President of the National Parents Council Post Primary, who shared his concerns this morning on RTÉ’s The Sean O’Rourke Show.
Addressing the melding of the two databases, Mr Mooney said he believes that families will ‘suffer’ as a result of child benefit being removed over poor school attendance.
@TodaySOR @Tanya_Ward Even the notion of introducing conditionality to child benefit system flies in face of children's rights.
— Grainia Long (@GrainiaLong) May 12, 2016
Small measures help children with ASD to attend school-a quiet room, reduced timetable, sensory breaks and good resource teacher @TodaySOR
— Alice O'Donnell (@AliceODonnell10) May 12, 2016
Clarifying that child benefit is also a benefit to the entire family unit, Mr Mooney expressed his opinion that it is not acceptable to punish the wider family over missed school periods.
Instead, Mr Mooney believes that the Irish Government needs to take an alternative approach to school attendance problems, focusing on the underlying reason for prolonged truancy rather than such a serious punishment.
Mr Mooney’s statement was supported by Tanya Ward, of the Children’s Rights Alliance, who recommended investment in educational supports to boost attendance rather than penalising the family in question.
Do you agree with their points of view?