Northern Irish schools are to receive advice on tackling absenteeism and truancy after the matter was brought before the Assembly.

It has emerged that more than 20,000 pupils in Northern Ireland have less than 85% attendance.

Yesterday, East Antrim Ulster Unionist MLA Roy Beggs told the Assembly the problem of absenteeism from post primary schools is particularly great in Protestant, working class areas.

A total of 26 out of the 30 electoral wards with the poorest attendance records have a mainly Protestant population, according to research.

Mr Beggs’s motion called on the Office of the First Ministers to co-ordinate a cross departmental approach to tackle the high levels of pupil absenteeism.

The motion received unanimous support from all parties.

Education Minister John O’Dowd told the Assembly his department would coordinate with the Education Wellfare Service to create guidelines which will reduce the number of children missing school.

"We know there is a clear link between deprivation and school attendance", he said.

"The data shows that attendance rates tend to be lower in schools with high levels of free school meal entitlement (FSME).

"Post-primary schools where less than 10% of pupils were entitled to free school meals had an overall absence rate of 4.6%, compared with 11.7% for schools with more than 50% FSME."

He added: "Schools obviously have a very important role to play. They must provide a support system for those who are most vulnerable, and they must encourage a culture of regular attendance by everyone. When that is not happening, we need to ask why and we need to look at what we can do to support the schools."

(IT/GK)