Education expert Dr John Kennedy has been appointed as the first chief executive officer to the board set up to tackle absenteeism and early school-leaving.
The Education Welfare Board, announced today by the Minister for Education and Science, is intended to set up an Education Welfare Service to reduce the level of children dropping out of primary and secondary school.
Dr Kennedy will oversee the introduction of the new service on a phased basis from the start of the next school year in September 2002.
It will monitor attendance and help children at risk and those having difficulties in or out of school.
Dr Woods said the service would also help prevent early school leaving - about 800 children a year do not attend school beyond primary level and about 19 per cent of secondary school children do not go on to Leaving Certificate.
Dr Kennedy is currently principal education welfare officer with the London Borough of Harrow. He is also a tutor in Education Welfare Studies at the University of the West of England.