Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 13 Oct 1998

Vol. 495 No. 1

Written Answers. - School Enrolment.

Richard Bruton

Question:

430 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the projections of total enrolment in secondary schools for each of the years up to 2003; and the assumptions that underlie these in relation to growing participation in transition years and in growing retention ratios. [19660/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The information requested by the Deputy is in the following tabular statement:

Year	Enrolment
1998-99	364,000
1999-00	358,00
2000-01	354,000
2001-02	348,000
2002-03	345,000
2003-04	343,000

Underlying these projections are the following assumptions:

It is assumed that participation in transition year will grow from a level of 42 per cent for those entering senior cycle in 1997 to 66 per cent for those entering in 2003.

It is assumed that the retention rate to completion of the senior cycle programmes will grow by 10 percentage points in the period under consideration.