Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 2 Mar 1999

Vol. 501 No. 3

Written Answers. - Post Leaving Certificate Courses.

Richard Bruton

Question:

392 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of pupils engaged in post leaving certificate courses in each of the years since it was first introduced; and the estimated cost of providing these courses in each year. [6259/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

PLC courses were introduced for the first time in 1985. The numbers on the programme have increases as follows:

Year	Number	Year	Number
85/86	*1,220*	92/93	17,030
86/87	*1,711*	93/94	17,677
87/88	*768*	94/95	17,644
88/89	*4,202*	95/96	17,985
89/90	12,414	96/97	18,712
90/91	14,099	97/98	21,263
91/92	15,739	98/99	23,810

*The classification of students between the post junior cycle, and post leaving certificate elements of the vocational preparation and training programme was unreliable in the period prior to 1989.

Post leaving certificate courses are funded as part of the overall teaching and non-pay resources issued by the Department towards the running costs of schools. A separate breakdown of the costs of the post leaving certificate programme is not available for the period prior to 1997, as the financial data prior to that includes other elements of the vocational preparation and training programme.

For the 1997 calendar year, the cost of the PLC programme was £38,926,433. The 1998 cost is estimated at £50.33 million, and this includes £5.450 million for student maintenance grants introduced for the first time with effect from September 1998. The 1999 estimated costs are of the order of £63.53 million.

Richard Bruton

Question:

393 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the make up of those entering post leaving certificate courses distinguishing recent school leavers with junior certificate or less, recent school leavers with leaving certificate, persons progressing from some out of school bridging programmes such as youthreach, persons with a third level qualification, mature students on VTOS and other mature students. [6260/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The qualifications of entrants to the first year of a PLC course in 1998 were as follows:

Qualification	Number	%
		%
Leaving Certificate	15,705	78
Junior/Inter Certificate	916	5
Group Certificate	101	0.5
Foundation Certificate (e.g. Youthreach)	77	0.4
No qualifications	316	1.6
Other (includes third level)	2,987	14.5

Of these, 1,608 were VTOS students, 13,958 entered PLC courses directly from another school or college. Some 30 per cent of all first year entrants were aged 21 or over, and 26 per cent of these were aged 23 or over.