Vol. 483 No. 3
425 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the statistics, if any, which are available on the number of children who do not transfer from primary to second level education; the percentages involved in this regard; if he is concerned about these figures; and the plans, if any, he has to improve this situation. [20589/97]
The National Economic and Social Forum (NESF) report of January 1997 estimates that 1,000 young people do not transfer from primary level annually. This figure represents 1.6 per cent of the number of pupils in sixth class in the 1995-96 school year.
This population and young people generally who leave school without qualification and before they have completed their compulsory schooling, are a matter of grave concern to me and to my Department.
I will be announcing in the near future details of new initiatives which will be targeted to address the issue of early school leaving of pupils in the eight-15 year old age range.
