Each day matters : A qualitative study on the school counselor’s role in the school´s efforts to promote student attendance and prevent absenteeism

This study sheds light on the school counselor`s role in the schools promotive and preventive to increase school attendance. School absenteeism is a growning problem that can lead to extensive consequences for students learning, mental health and future life chances. This emphasizes the need for early and structured interventions. The aim of this study is to examine how shool counselor`s describe the attandence-promoting and preventative work, and how they perceive their professional role in this work. This study was conducted using a qualitative method and is based on semi-structured interviews with six school counselors. The empirical data was analysed through thematic analysis. The finidings show that the school counselors contribute to the work through relationship-building, collaboration with school staff, parents and external partners as well as interventions that aims to strenghten the school`s climate, saftey and students sense of belonging. At the same time, it becomes evident that organisational challenges can complicate the preventative and promative work. The study shows that the school counselor`s have an important role in the schools attendance-promoting work but that clearly defined structural conditions is crucial.