‘Some stay up too late on their phones until 3 or 4am’ – The Irish Times

Theresa Burke, a guidance counsellor with 20 years of experience, says attendance rates were always good at the all-boys secondary school where she teaches. Like many other schools, however, more challenging trends are emerging.

Of the 680 students at Coláiste Choilm Tullamore, between 60 to 80 used to be absent on any given day before the pandemic. Nowadays, anywhere from 110 to 120 students are not in school.

“Why? It’s bad habits, lack of sleep. Some stay up too late on their phone – some tell me it could be 3 or 4am – and they’re too tired in the morning. A parent might not be around in the morning to get them up, and they worry if they’re late there might be a punishment,” she says.

Mental health issues and anxiety are another factor, she says. Where a pupil has social anxiety, she says, they may turn up in the car with their parent at the school gates, but feel they can’t go inside.

“I’ve noticed lately that more and more of the students I meet are struggling…