https://hdl.handle.net/10419/197496 Sat, 24 Oct 2026 01:54:27 GMT 2026-10-24T01:54:27Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/337196 Title: School-level patterns of non-attendance, 2022/23 and 2023/24 Authors: Ponce, Anna Moya; Smyth, Emer; Darmody, Merike Abstract: School attendance has become a topic of international concern, particularly in light of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to long-lasting challenges in attendance (Dee, 2024; Fuller et al., 2024; Lichand et al., 2024; Tomaszewski et al., 2023). Some evidence suggests that English-speaking countries have been particularly affected (Anders et al., 2024). Analysing attendance patterns is crucial due to its well-established links with school performance and attainment (Aucejo and Romano, 2016; Gottfried, 2010, 2011; Gottfried and Kirksey, 2017; Smyth, 1999), as well as with long-term outcomes in educational trajectories (Smerillo et al., 2018; Allensworth and Easton, 2007; Liu et al., 2021; Ansari et al., 2020) and in the labour market (Ansari et al., 2020; Klein et al., 2024, Klein and Sosu, 2024; Attwood and Croll, 2017). We use administrative data from the AAR (Annual Attendance Report) collected by TESS (Tusla Education Support Service), which include the total number of days lost to absence in each school and the number of chronically absent students, defined as those absent for 20 or more days over the school year. The data cover the years 2022/23 and 2023/24 at both primary and post-primary level. We analyse these measures in relative terms: the proportion of chronically absent students relative to the total student population, and the average number of days lost per student. These school records are matched with publicly available data published by the DEY (Department of Education and Youth), which provides information on school characteristics. We examine variation in attendance by factors such as the school's denomination, ethos, gender mix, size, language of instruction, level of socioeconomic deprivation (as measured by the HP Pobal Index), county, and fee-paying status. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10419/337196 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/337197 Title: Supporting student wellbeing in school contexts: A narrative review Authors: Dempsey, Caoimhe; MacCoy, Selina Abstract: International and Irish studies have indicated negative trends in the mental health and wellbeing of young people over recent years. Indeed, the most recent wave of the Health Behaviour of School-Aged Children study shows that Ireland ranked 24 out of 36 countries on overall adolescent mental health. This is in stark contrast to Ireland's high rankings on adolescent academic and social skills (1st) and physical health (11th) within the study (Cosma et al., 2023). In the face of these worrying trends, in many countries, including Ireland, there is a growing awareness that wellbeing is both an outcome and an enabler of learning, such that academic goals can only be addressed within the context of positive wellbeing. The psychosocial environment in schools is critical for fostering students' emotional and social wellbeing. Schools hold significant potential to promote wellbeing and mental health given their capacity to (a) reach diverse young people, (b) facilitate social connections and (c) host wide-ranging interventions. Indeed, children and adolescents themselves describe school as having a large impact on their wellbeing (ONS, 2020). Ireland has made significant strides in promoting student wellbeing and mental health in schools in recent years. The Department of Education and Youth's approach to supporting both wellbeing and mental health in schools and educational contexts is set out in its Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice (2018), and is evaluated at school level through the school self-evaluation process. However, despite these policy strides, significant concerns and disagreement remain regarding how best to promote and even monitor student wellbeing and mental health in school contexts. Addressing this issue, the current review adopts a narrative approach to exploring how wellbeing and mental health are promoted and monitored in school contexts in Ireland and internationally. A broad range of literature underpins the findings presented, including quantitative and qualitative empirical articles, policy reports, government agency documents and publications from international organisations (e.g., UNESCO, OECD). Together these sources ensure a wide range of insights from various disciplines. The findings from this evidence base provide the basis for recommendations on how the Irish Wellbeing Policy Statement and Framework for Practice could be further developed. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10419/337197 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/311800 Title: Child poverty on the island of Ireland Authors: Russell, Helen; Maître, Bertrand; Alamir, Anousheh; Slevin, Eva Abstract: The effects of poverty in childhood can last a lifetime. Research shows that children living in poverty have lower levels of health and wellbeing, attain lower levels of education, have lower levels of occupational attainment and are more likely to be poor in adulthood. In this report, we focus on child poverty on the island of Ireland. While child poverty in each jurisdiction has been studied separately, there is an absence of comparative research. A comparative analysis of this sort can help to identify the features of the two systems that are influential in preventing or exacerbating child poverty. In both Ireland and the UK, children have had the highest income poverty rates of all age groups over the past ten years. While child poverty rates worsened over the past decade in the UK (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2024), they remained relatively stable in Ireland over the 2000s when measured by household income. However, rates of child material deprivation rose and fell following the pattern of economic boom, bust and recovery (Roantree et al., 2024). This report sets out to compare child poverty across the two jurisdictions, using a mixed-methods approach with harmonised national survey data on incomes and living standards (SILC and FRS), as well as consultations with stakeholders from both jurisdictions to help identify policy issues most relevant for child poverty in each jurisdiction. The study addresses three research questions: 1. Which groups of children are most vulnerable to poverty in the two jurisdictions? 2. What is the role of household labour market situation and social background in shaping the risk of child poverty in Ireland and Northern Ireland? 3. How do policy approaches to addressing child poverty differ in Ireland and Northern Ireland and how do these policies influence the patterns of child poverty observed? The report uses two measures of poverty: Income poverty, which is having a disposable income that is less than 60 per cent of median income for Ireland or the UK; Material deprivation is measured by the lack of access to five items that are considered as standard within societies and are common to the two data sources, such as arrears on bills or inability to keep the home adequately warm. The consideration of deprivation is important because income alone does not capture the variation in needs and long-term resources of households. Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10419/311800 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/311796 Title: Modelling Northern Ireland within the context of the all-island economy Authors: Bergin, Adele; Low, Hailey; Millard, Stephen; Verma, Akhilesh Kumar Abstract: Northern Ireland occupies a unique position following Brexit and the Windsor Framework. It is part of the UK fiscal, welfare and monetary unions - where the main policy levers are mostly exercised at a UK national level - along with its national economic policies for devolved administrations and regions. Simultaneously, it remains within the EU Single Market for goods with Dual EU/UK regulatory regimes, participates in the Common Travel Area (CTA) between the United Kingdom and Ireland and is supported by a commitment to continue specified areas of North-South cooperation. The economic effects of this will continue to evolve over time. Whatever the background situation, it is clear that the economies of both Northern Ireland and Ireland can have a mutually beneficial impact on each other through improved economic outcomes on both sides of the border and enhanced interaction. This report discusses the development of a model for the Northern Ireland economy. The model can be used to produce economic forecasts and to examine the effects of economic policies and shocks. The framework captures the various linkages between the Northern Ireland economy and that of Ireland and so aids our wider understanding of how the Northern Ireland economy functions within the context of the wider all-island economy. The modelling framework also captures linkages to Great Britain and the international economy. By developing such a model and ensuring that the unique features of the Northern Ireland economy - that it is part of the United Kingdom while also being part of the EU Single Market - are built into the model, we can better understand the evolution of the Northern Ireland economy and what it means for the all-island economy. (...) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10419/311796 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z