PUPILS COULD DO BETTER SAYS McCREA
ONE in 10 schoolchildren in Banbridge miss secondary school on a regular basis, in what has been described as a "horrendous situation".
New research has revealed that secondary school pupils in the Edenderry ward have the lowest attendance while those from the Bannside area have the best.
Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea joined with his Ulster Unionist colleagues John McCallister and Roy Beggs to make an appeal for something to be done to address the problem.
Mr McCrea said, "Banbridge's District Council Area had one of the higher rates of poor attendance at school for Post-Primary, at 111.1 per thousand – around 11 per cent.
"When analysing the attendance by ward, it was discovered that Edenderry had the worst attendance with 206.5 per thousand, and that was followed by Gilford at 200 per thousand. Bannside had the best attendance in that age group, followed by Katesbridge.
"When reviewing poor attendance for children enrolled in Primary School, it was a pleasant discovery to find that Banbridge had the best out of all 26 District Council areas for attendance," he added.
But the UUP MLA said these figures are part of a wider problem, namely a lack of respect for the school system and education generally.
"If parents frequently allow absences from school during a child's primary education - which has been revealed to be mostly due to minor ailments, as illness was the top reason for lack of attendance - the result is a devaluation of school itself," he said.
"It therefore only stands to reason that we would see a drop in attendance once those children grow up and enter post-primary."
Mr McCrea said the responsibility for a child's education must lie with the parents.
"As parents it is imperative that we encourage our children to attend school regularly, on time and keep within school rules to start a good regime," he said.
"Should a child or young person start wanting to avoid school, I would advise parents to contact the school immediate to gain a better understanding of what may be going on.
"Taking a full interest in your children's work will not only make them feel supported, but it will also encourage them to feel more confident about asking for help and be more inclined to approach new challenges without fear."
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Weather for Banbridge
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 7 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
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