asked the Minister for Education if she will give an account of vocational preparation type programmes from their inception to date, under the following headings; (a) the type of schools, (b) the number of schools, (c) the numbers of teachers, (d) the numbers of pupils, by gender that participated, or were allowed to participate in these programmes; whether any external or other forms of evaluation of these programmes have been carried out to date; and whether theories of career choices were incorporated in formulating, implementing and evaluating these programmes.
Written Answers. - Vocational Preparation and Training Programmes.
101.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 232 in relation to pre-employment courses on Tuesday, June 9 1987. The vocational training and preparation programmes were a direct successor to the pre-employment programmes having similar objectives, but aimed at servicing a larger number of young people who wished to avail themselves of this type of programme. For this reason the programmes were offered by secondary schools in addition to vocational, community and comprehensive schools to which the pre-employment courses had been confined. A tabular statement of available information as requested by the Deputy in relation to vocational training and preparation programmes follows.
In addition to the ongoing evaluation by the Department's inspectorate and psychological service in consultation with school and other authorities, an evaluation of the vocational training and preparation programmes was carried out by my Department in conjunction with the Economic and Social Research Institute and a report of the findings was published in November 1986. A copy of this report is being lodged in the Oireachtas Library. Following is the statement:
Vocational Preparation and Training Programmes
|
Period |
Type of Schools |
Number of Schools |
Number of Teachers |
Number of Pupils |
|
|
Male |
Female |
||||
|
1986-87 |
Vocational |
230 |
Not available |
7,862 |
11,792 |
|
Community |
37 |
Total 19,654 |
|||
|
Comprehensive |
10 |
||||
|
Secondary |
157 |
||||
|
1985-86 |
Vocational |
230 |
3,700 |
7,341 |
11,010 |
|
Community |
45 |
Total 18,351 |
|||
|
Comprehensive |
45 |
||||
|
Secondary |
161 |
||||
|
1984-85 |
Vocational |
223 |
3,616 |
5,020 |
10,787 |
|
Community |
39 |
Total 15,807 |
|||
|
Comprehensive |
39 |
||||
|
Secondary |
118 |