Tracking Student Attendance Patterns and Identifying Causes of Absenteeism across Age Groups and Education Levels

Ms Valerie Lee asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry tracks student absences across different age groups, including children in childcare centres, preschools, and primary schools; and (b) whether the Ministry is able to identify the main causes of such absences within each respective age group.

Mr Desmond Lee: The Early Childhood Development Centres Act requires all preschools to maintain daily records of children's attendance. The Ministry of Education tracks student attendance patterns across all our schools. Most student absences are due to medical reasons.