Vol. 517 No. 3
313 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Education and Science if financial approval will be granted for the retention programme proposal put forward on behalf of Kilkenny city vocational school by County Kilkenny VEC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9827/00]
The stay in school retention initiative at second level will provide funding to targeted schools on the basis of plans which they will be helped to design themselves. The intention is to empower the schools themselves to tackle early school leaving. At the core of the initiative are multi-annual retention plans drawn up by the individual schools and agreed with the Department. These are to provide for a range of specific measures directed at the particular needs of individual schools, together with clear targets in terms of increased retention up to the end of the senior cycle.
Some 58 schools are participating in the first phase of the initiative and it is intended to invite a further selection of schools to participate in the second phase during 2000.
I can assure the Deputy that the school in question will receive full consideration when schools are being invited to participate in the second phase of the initiative.
