Ireland: 1 in 5 students miss 20+ days annually, post-Covid attendance crisis persists

Irish schools report a sustained spike in chronic absenteeism, with one in five students missing at least 20 days per year, a legacy of Covid-era disengagement. The trend is negatively impacting academic performance and teen well-being, prompting debate over policy responses. The scale and persistence of the problem remain uncertain, but it signals a structural challenge for the education system.