Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Oct 1999

Vol. 509 No. 1

Written Answers. - Early School Leavers.

Charles Flanagan

Question:

346 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that early school leaving in the midlands is almost twice the national average; if he will set up a task force to deal with this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19763/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I assure the Deputy that I share his concern at the levels of non-school attendance in many areas of the country. It is for this reason that I have initiated a programme comprising both legislative measures and special targeted initiatives to combat the problem of non-school attendance and early school leaving.

The Education Welfare Bill which I recently published will provide for the introduction of a comprehensive school attendance service. The legislation includes specific measures for an effective "tracking" system so as to ensure that children who are at risk of dropping out of the system can be identified and early interventions put in place. Among the key objectives of the Bill is the establishment of a single national authority with responsibility for school attendance on a country-wide basis. Education welfare officers employed by the authority will co-ordinate State services to children who have school attendance problems.

One of the key objectives of the eight to 15 year old early school leavers initiative which was introduced in September 1998 is to test models of response to the problem of early school leaving, with a view to the integration of such models, after structured evaluation, into mainstream policy and practice.

In addition, I recently announced a major initiative aimed at increasing the number of pupils remaining in school to complete the leaving certificate. This stay in school initiative will provide funding to targeted post primary schools on the basis of plans which the schools will be helped to design. The intention is to empower the schools to tackle their own early school leaving problems. At the core of the initiative will be a multi-annual retention plan drawn up between the school and my Department. This will provide for a range of targeted measures directed at the particular needs of the individual school, together with clear targets in terms of increased retention. A key requirement of the plans will be that the school operates on a multi-agency basis and establishes cross community links in delivering on its commitments.

At present my Department is making the necessary arrangements to administer this initiative. I expect that the operation of the stay in school initiative will commence very shortly. I am satisfied that the initiatives which I have outlined will have an important impact on the problem of early school leaving in all areas, including the midlands.