Vol. 435 No. 10
82 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education whether she has satisfied herself with the effectiveness of the Youthreach programme; and her views on whether the objectives of helping early school leavers would be better served by changes within the school system and a special employment placement scheme for early school leavers.
The aim of Youthreach is to provide an integrated programme of education, training and work experience for young people in the 15-18 year age group who have left school early without any qualifications or vocational training.
The Youthreach programme has been evaluated for the Commission of the European Union by the ESRI. This evaluation recognised that the target group being catered for within Youthreach are extremely disadvantaged, and that as a consequence, the outcomes from the programme should not be assessed by reference to placement rates alone. In accordance with research findings internationally, the evaluators, whilst acknowledging the positive outcomes from the programme, recommended that a more effective response would be to focus on preventive measures targeted at the early years of education. I have therefore proposed a range of special education initiatives in the National Development Plan in order that those at risk of early school leaving and under achievement leading to economic and social exclusion are provided with the additional supports necessary to optimise their participation in, and benefit from, the educational system. These initiatives will be complemented by existing educational programmes to combat disadvantage, by curricular reforms especially at the second level, and by specific staff development measures.
