Teachers, School Completion Programme Workers and Educational Welfare Officers marked the launch of the Roscommon School Refusal Resource Pack.
This pack provides information for schools and parents on the best way to manage school refusal and the services available in Roscommon which will help.
The pack is the result of collaboration between Roscommon Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, HSE Psychology, Tusla Educational Welfare Services, National Educational Psychological Service and Tusla Prevention, Partnership and Family Support Services. It has been developed in response to an increase in school refusal issues in the County; and will assist schools and parents with prevention and early intervention by supporting identification of early warning signs.
School refusal behaviour refers to a student’s refusal to attend school or difficulty remaining in classes for an entire day. Refusal to go to school may happen at any age but most typically occurs in children 5-7 years of age and 11-14 years of age.
There are many reasons why a student may refuse to attend school and these include:
- Social and peer related difficulties
- Learning and curriculum difficulties
- Difficulties with the physical environment
Dr. Philip Tyndall, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist explains that
“School refusal often places parents in a dilemma. They want their child or teenager to be at school but, when they push this, the young person becomes distressed and parents lose confidence in knowing what to do. If parents can be open with the young person’s school about the problem, and the school can respond promptly, the problem can often be resolved quickly. If the problem is not resolved quickly, there are services within County Roscommon, outlined in the new Pathway, which can help. This Pathway will help parents and schools to work together, and to know how and when to access other services”.
Georgina Kilcoyne, Principal for Prevention, Partnership and Family Support, Tusla said
“This initiative is a wonderful example of how the Meitheal approach can be used by a young person and their families to overcome a difficult period in their lives by involving a team around them”.
Click here to read more about Roscommon school refusal pack.
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