Statistics released by Northern Ireland’s Department of Education also reveal holidays during term time are increasing among secondary school pupils.
In 2015/16, the attendance rate for post-primary schools was 93.5 per cent of total half-days with 6.5 per cent missed due to absence. Of these absences, 4.3 per cent were authorised and 2.2 unauthorised.
Only absence with permission from a school on provision of a satisfactory explanation can be considered authorised. This includes bereavement, medical appointments, religious observance and illness. Unauthorised absences include taking time off due to the availability of cheap holiday deals.
Schools can authorise a family holiday only under “very exceptional circumstances”. These may be for reasons including a break being important to the wellbeing and cohesion of the family, following serious or terminal illness, bereavement or “other traumatic events”.
The proportion of unauthorised days has fallen slightly in secondary schools since 2014/15 – down from 6.6 per cent.
However, the proportion of absent half-days for which no reason was provided increased in post-primary schools. Such absences represented 22.3 per cent, compared to 19.7 the previous year. Non-agreed family holidays represented 2.9 per cent of absences, up from 2.6.
The most common cause of absence in all schools was illness. It accounted for 53 per cent in secondary schools. Medical and dental appointments made up 5.8 per cent followed by other exceptional circumstances (3.6) and bereavement (1.8) and suspensions (1.5).
Across the UK regions, the highest level of secondary unauthorised absence was recorded in Northern Ireland, representing 2.2 per cent of all half-days. The equivalent figures for both Wales and England are lower at 1.3 and 1.2 respectively.