Attendance is a condition of a student’s immigration permission in Ireland. Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes and participate fully in their programme. All students must maintain a minimum attendance rate of 85% throughout their course.
Students are expected to arrive on time for all classes.
Repeated lateness may result in disciplinary action.
Students must attend all scheduled classes. If a student is unable to attend, they must inform the school as soon as possible, preferably by email.
All absences must be recorded and may be classified as justified or unjustified.
Where applicable, students may be required to provide supporting documentation (e.g. a medical certificate) to justify their absence, particularly in cases of illness or extended absence.
Unjustified or repeated absences will negatively affect a student’s attendance record and may lead to disciplinary action.
Persistent absenteeism (failure to attend classes regularly) may result in the student not meeting the minimum attendance requirement of 85%, as outlined in this policy.
This may have implications for the student’s immigration permission and may result in further action in accordance with the Student Discipline & Expulsion Policy.
If you are unable to attend your class for any reason, you must contact the college on the first day, and each subsequent day, giving the reason for non-attendance.
You must submit a medical certificate covering all absences as soon as you return. This is mandatory for all international students, in order to comply with both college and GNIB requirements.
If you do not submit a certificate, your absence will be treated as unauthorised, and disciplinary procedures may begin.
We can only cover your attendance if you provide a medical certificate.
You will not receive attendance if you do not provide a certificate, or if you are absent for any other reason, including attending at the GNIB office.
You must submit your medical certificate within 2 weeks of your time off – after this, we will not update your attendance.
Only medical certificates issued in the Republic of Ireland and written in English will be accepted.
All certificates are subject to verification by the College.
If a certificate is found to be fraudulent, we will take immediate action and any student submitting fraudulent certificates will be suspended immediately.
If you have any questions about this, please contact the Director of Studies at dos@dcedu.ie
Students studying for 25 weeks are entitled to take 8 weeks’ holiday.
We recommend that you take your holiday after the completion of the full course.
The reason for this is that it is important for the continuity of your study, so that we can be sure that you complete all the parts of your course.
If you wish to take a holiday during your course, you must email
info@dcedu.ie at least one week in advance and submit it to Reception staff.
The form is available at Reception.
Once you have submitted the form, you will receive an email from us within 48 hours, stating whether your request has been approved or not.
If you do not receive an email within 48 hours, it is your responsibility to contact the college to enquire about your request.
Rules for taking holidays during the course:
If you have a valid reason for taking extra holidays, such as your health or a medical procedure, you should make an appointment to discuss this prior to filling in the Request Form.
Bring as much proof as you can.
Please do not book any flights or holidays before applying for your holiday and receiving permission.
Permission is not automatically guaranteed, as it depends on your fulfilling the above rules.
Student attendance is monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure compliance with academic and immigration requirements.
All students are expected to maintain a minimum attendance rate of 85% throughout their course.
Where a student’s attendance falls below this requirement, the following staged disciplinary process will apply:
Students are expected to take immediate action to improve their attendance following each stage.
Failure to improve attendance after the final written warning may result in the student being withdrawn from their programme, in accordance with the Student Discipline & Expulsion Policy.
In cases of serious misconduct or where a student’s behaviour poses a risk to themselves, other students, or staff, the school reserves the right to apply immediate disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion, without following the staged warning process.
Non-EEA students must comply with the conditions of their immigration permission while studying in Ireland.
A key requirement is maintaining a minimum attendance rate of 85% throughout the duration of their programme.
The school is required to monitor attendance and report students to the Irish Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) where:
Failure to meet these requirements may result in the student being removed from their programme and may affect their immigration permission to remain in Ireland.
The school may also be required to share relevant student information, including attendance and academic progress, with the appropriate authorities in accordance with Irish regulations.
Failure to comply with the attendance and participation requirements outlined in this policy may result in disciplinary action.
All disciplinary procedures, including the staged warning process and potential withdrawal from a programme, are carried out in accordance with the Student Discipline & Expulsion Policy.
