To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the average absence figures for primary and post-primary schools since school restarted in August; and (ii) the comparable figures for the same time period for each of the past two years.

Absence is reported by schools in half day sessions. The average absence figures since schools restarted in August 2020 are 5.2% for primary and 7.7% for post primary schools. For the same period in 2019, the proportion of total possible attendance recorded as absent was 3.6% for primary schools and 5.3% for post primary schools. Data for the same period in 2018 is not available as the equivalent reports were not available then.