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Laois Psychotherapist Criticises ESRI Report On School Absences

Monday, 2 March 2026 16:15

Katie Richardson believes it unfairly puts the blame on families for high school absences.

A Laois Psychotherapist is criticising new findings from the Economic and Social Research Institute, saying the study unfairly blames families for school absences.

Katie Richardson is a Psychotherapist specialized in working with neurodivergent, children and their families and Clinical Director of Inner Therapy in Portlaoise.

She believes the research overlooks key drivers of absence such as trauma, bullying, learning difficulties and lack of educational supports.

The ESRI study, produced with the Tusla Education Support Service, found that even one to two days absence at age 13 is linked to lower Leaving Certificate grades, with chronic absence associated with a gap of more than 80 points.

Katie says focus should shift from how absence affects social development to how social difficulties affect attendance:

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