A lesson for the country - Ballymun kids lift school attendance by 14,000 days

The Government is planning to extend the law that holds parents to account when their child misses school unnecessarily. The new law would also cover the parents of children under six years of age. Meanwhile, Ballymun has come up with a completely new (and possibly complimentary) approach.

A Local Development Company in Dublin has used computer software and a community development approach to dramatically improve school attendances.

By Conor Hogan

In 2008, the attendance rate for primary schools in Ballymun was worse than that of other disadvantaged areas and 3.5% below than the national average.

Local community and educational organisations to take action and in the past two years the gap compared to the national average has halved. Last year, 14,000 less school days were missed in all.

Meanwhile, chronic absenteeism for Traveller boys has fallen by over 24% while the attendance rate for Traveller girls actually overtook the national average for schools in disadvantaged areas.

So how did they go about achieving this?

When David meets Dermot

'Dublin Valentines' is an annual public conversation between playwright and poet Dermot Bolger and well known Dublin writers, presented by axis in association with Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership and the North Dublin Chamber of Commerce. This year his guest is David McWilliams, the leading economic commentator.

Take one; leave one!

- Republic’s biggest book exchange is in Ballymun, probably!

Ballymun Whitehall book exchange

On the first Thursday of every month, over 250 people file through the Ballymun Civic Centre as the monthly Book Exchange takes place, organised by Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership (BWAP).

It might even be the biggest book exchange in the country – Rosemary Kinehan of BWAP can’t say for sure.

“It may be - there’s no central record of this,” said Ms Kinehan.

Yet it cost nothing to set up. Soon after it started, schoolteachers noticed an improvement in pupils’ reading ability, said Ms Kinehan.

The Book Exchange began life as one of the Partnership’s activities for AONTAS Adult Learners Festival in February 2009 and grew from there. 

'My trade unionist Dad set me on social justice path'

WORKING IN THE LCDP 

Declan Dunne giving a talk last year on health awareness. Photo courtesy of New Communities Partnership.

- INTERVIEW WITH DECLAN DUNNE, BALLYMUN

BY ALAN JACQUES

Declan Dunne is the CEO of Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership* since 2003 and he worked for 3 years before that in economic development in Clondalkin/CPLN. Some years earlier, he employed 157 people in the private sector.

What are you reading at the moment?

Lots of junk fiction! Also it may sound pretentious but the Harvard Business Review is accessible, concise and practical.
Person you most admire?

Sylda Langford who was, until recently, the Director of the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. She left a hugely positive legacy for children and families. Gordon Jeyes the HSE National Director for Children and Family Services is very inspiring. He is quoted as saying that one way to boost efficiency is to use services to put more emphasis on personal responsibility, with the onus on communities to solve problems at local level.