Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 12 Feb 1998

Vol. 487 No. 2

Written Answers. - Transition of Pupils.

Michael Bell

Question:

32 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children who did not make the transition from primary to secondary school in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3604/98]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The data requested by the Deputy are available in the Department's annual Statistical Reports from 1988-89 onwards and are given in the table below.

Year left	No. (excl. emigrants) who did not go to any school within the state	No. whose destination is unknown	Total	No. enrolled in ordinary classes	% of total in ordinary classes not transferring
					%
1988-89	448	578	1,026	548,623	0.2
1989-90	460	597	1,057	540,572	0.2
1990-91	396	441	837	532,240	0.2
1991-92	281	620	901	522,797	0.2
1992-93	320	536	856	510,012	0.2
1993-94	362	550	912	494,322	0.2
1994-95	347	508	855	479,126	0.2
1995-96	296	601	897	465,854	0.2

Note: Data for 1996-97 and 1997-98 are not available.

I recognise that these figures are unacceptably high and I will shortly be commencing a range of initiatives to reduce them.