Secondary school teacher sickness absence

Summary

The request sought detailed sickness absence data for secondary school teachers in the Isle of Man for the last three academic years. The Department of Education, Sport and Culture provided aggregate statistics on absence days, percentages, and averages but withheld specific reports and data by reason of absence due to privacy exemptions.

Key Facts

• Aggregate sickness absence data was released for the academic years 2021/22, 2022/23, and 2023/24.
• Total absence days per school were provided for BHS, CRHS, QEII, RGS, and SNHS.
• Information regarding the percentage of occurrence of sickness by reason (e.g., mental health) was withheld.
• Detailed evaluation reports produced by schools or the Department were not disclosed.
• The authority cited Section 39 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 to exempt personal health data.

Data Disclosed

• 1048
• 1061
• 1300
• 502.5
• 596
• 967.50
• 629.50
• 209
• 479.50
• 579.50
• 615.50
• 926
• 750
• 1158.50
• 1070.50
• 79.60%
• 76.17%
• 89.37%
• 316
• 294
• 328
• 11.1
• 12.4
• 14.5
• 8.8
• 9.4
• 12.9
• 2024-11-04
• 2024-11-29

Exemptions Cited

• Section 39 (1)(a)(b) of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Qualified exempt personal information)
• Section 8 of the Data Protection Act 2002

Original Request

For each of the last three full academic years I seek such data and analysis as is held relating to secondary school teacher sickness for each of the Island's secondary schools. This includes, but is not limited to: a) Total days' teacher sickness absence taken (per secondary school); and b) Percentage of teachers who took sickness absence; and c) Number of teachers taking sickness absence; and d) Average number of days taken by each teacher who took sickness absence; and e) Average number of days taken in sickness absence by all teachers; and f) Percentage of occurrence of sickness absence by reason (e.g. mental health, muscular skeletal etc); and g) All and any evaluation, analysis and reports produced by each secondary school for its respective Governing Body and/or the DESC pertaining to teacher sickness; and h) All and any evaluation, analysis and reports produced by the DESC or other organisation relating to IOM teacher sickness.

Data Tables (5)

Full Response Text

Policy, Strategy and Governance Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Thie Slieau Whallian Foxdale Road St Johns IM4 3AS

Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im

Our ref: 4237785 29 November 2024

Dear ###

We write further to your request, received 4 November 2024, which states:

“For each of the last three full academic years I seek such data and analysis as is held relating to secondary school teacher sickness for each of the Island’s secondary schools.

This includes, but is not limited to:

a) Total days' teacher sickness absence taken (per secondary sc’ool); and

b) Percentage of teachers who took sickness absence; and

c) Number of teachers taking sickness absence; and

d) Average number of days taken by each teacher who took sickness absence; and

e) Average number of days taken in sickness absence by all teachers; and

f) Percentage of occurrence of sickness absence by reason (e.g. mental health, muscular skeletal etc); and

g) All and any evaluation, analysis and reports produced by each secondary school for its respective Governing Body and/or the DESC pertaining to teacher sickness; and

h) All and any evaluation, analysis and reports produced by the DESC or other organisation relating to IOM teacher sickness.”

Please see overleaf a copy of the information that is held:

12) Total days’ teacher sickness absence taken (per secondary school); and
Secondary School Academic Year 23/24 Academic Year 22/23 Academic Year 21/22 BHS 1048 1061 1300 CRHS 502.5 596 967.50 QEII 629.50 209 479.50 RGS 579.50 615.50 926 SNHS 750 1158.50 1070.50

b) Percentage of teachers who took sickness absence; and
Academic year 23/24 Academic year 22/23 Academic year 21/22 79.60% 76.17% 89.37%

c) Number of teachers taking sickness absence; and
Academic year 23/24 Academic year 22/23 Academic year 21/22 316 294 328

d) Average number of days taken by each teacher who took sickness absence; and
Academic year 23/24 Academic year 22/23 Academic year 21/22 11.1 12.4 14.5

e) Average number of days taken in sickness absence by all teachers; and
Academic year 23/24 Academic year 22/23 Academic year 21/22 8.8 9.4 12.9

f) Percentage of occurrence of sickness absence by reason (e.g. mental health, muscular skeletal etc); and

S39 (1)(a)(b) – Qualified exempt personal information

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide information held by the Department of Education, Sport and Culture that relates to part (h) of your request. In particular, we are unable to provide copies of detailed sickness absence reports in respect of staff based in secondary schools as the Department has determined the information is exempt from disclosure under Section 39 (1)(a)(b) of the Act.

The information is exempt under Section 39 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Qualified exempt personal information) as it constitutes personal data of a person other than you and under section 8 of the Data Protection Act 2002 the data subject would be entitled to prevent disclosure of the information to a member of the public otherwise than under that Act.

As Section 39 is a qualified exemption, it is subject to a public interest test. The public interest must be something that is of serious concern and benefit to the public at large.

Factors in favour of disclosing the information include: -To promote transparency and accountability.

Factors in favour of maintaining the exemption include: -Staff members have a general expectation that the details of their sickness absence/s from the workplace will remain private. Disclosure of this information would contravene that expectation and cause an intrusion into the privacy of the data subject which may lead to some distress.
- Whilst the Freedom of Information Act 2015 promotes transparency and accountability and therefore there may be some public interest in information pertaining to staff absences being disclosed, it is not sufficient to outweigh a data subject’s right for this information to remain private.
-The Department determines the information held is special category data, namely data concerning health.
Special category data is particularly sensitive and therefore warrants special protection. It can only be processed, which includes disclosure in response to an information request, if one of the conditions of Article 9 can be met.
In this case the Department determines the conditions in Article 9 have not been met. In assessing the weight to be attributed to each of the factors in favour of disclosing the information and maintaining the exemption, the Department of Education, Sport and Culture has taken the following into consideration:

• The severity of the impact of the prejudice.
• The age of the information.
• How far disclosure would further the public interests identified above. • Whether there is any similar information in the public domain and whether this affects the public interest.

g) All and any evaluation, analysis and reports produced by each secondary school for its respective Governing Body and/or the DESC pertaining to teacher sickness; and

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Department of Education, Sport and Culture is unable to provide the information you have requested. This is in line with section 11(3)a of the Act, as a practical refusal reason applies; namely we do not hold or cannot, after taking reasonable steps to do so, find the information that you have requested.

h) All and any evaluation, analysis and reports produced by the DESC or other organisation relating to IOM teacher sickness.

Whilst the Department holds information relating to staff absences the information is held in such format that does not allow for information specifically pertaining to teachers to be readily extracted. To extract the information would require the Department to create or derive information from information that it holds. Which the Department of Education, Sport and Culture is not required to do under the Act.

Please quote the reference number 4237785 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.