Stakeholder perspectives on primary school pupils and sickness absence - exploring opportunities and challenges

Bibliographic Data

ID21313985
AuthorsEsther Karen Pijl (Maastricht University, corresponding author), Yvonne T M Vanneste (0000-0003-1273-7854, Dutch Knowledge Centre for Youth Health (NCJ), Utrecht, The Netherlands), Frans Feron (0000-0002-9633-7921, Maastricht University), Frans J M Feron (Maastricht University), Jolanda Mathijssen (0000-0002-2425-4510, Tilburg University), Jolanda J P Mathijssen (Academic Collaborative Centre Youth, Tranzo, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands), Angelique De Rijk (0000-0002-5828-0629, Maastricht University), Angelique E De Rijk (Maastricht University)
Year2023
Volume75
Issue6
Pages1131-1149
Publication date2023-09-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEducational Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0013-1911 • E-ISSN: 1465-3397
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00131911.2021.1984212
PMID38013726
OpenAlexW3208443233
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited22

School absenteeism and its underlying causes can have negative effects on the cognitive, psychosocial and health development of a child. Research in primary education shows high rates of sickness absence. Many stakeholders are involved in addressing school absenteeism, including primary school professionals, child and youth healthcare physicians, school attendance officers and parents. This study explores these stakeholders' perspectives, their approaches and what they envisage to be necessary in order to improve. It also aims to unveil opportunities and challenges in addressing sickness absence among primary school pupils. Qualitative research was performed with six semi-structured focus group interviews and involving 27 participants from the West-Brabant and Amsterdam regions of the Netherlands. Thematic analysis was used. The overarching theme was aiming for the child's wellbeing. Each focus group interview started with low awareness of sickness absence as a threat to this wellbeing, but awareness grew during the interviews. The participating stakeholders regarded problematic sickness absence as complex due to a wide variety of causes, and felt that each other's expertise was necessary to reduce sickness absence. Schools registered absence, but only occasionally used planned steps; they based the identification of problematic sickness on gut feeling rather than any agreed-upon criteria. To be able to systematically address sickness absence and thus improve the wellbeing of children, stakeholders felt the need for a clearly structured approach, including monitoring of sickness absence of all pupils, identifying problematic absence and promoting collaboration with other stakeholders. An approach should allow for tailoring solutions to the individual child

Absenteeism · Attendance · Feeling · Focus group · Medical education · Political science · Psychiatry · Psychosocial · Public relations · Qualitative research · Sociology · Stakeholder · Thematic analysis · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Educational and Psychological Assessments · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance

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