Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Mar 2001

Vol. 533 No. 3

Written Answers. - Early School Leavers.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

338 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the fact that while seed capital funding was provided by the Wexford Area Partnership in 2000 to the Christian Brothers secondary school in Wexford town towards the cost of its programme to combat early school leaving, similar funding is not available in 2001; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that this school's retention rate to leaving certificate is only 74%; if he will provide funding to ensure that the school's programme to combat early school leaving can continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8890/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

My Department is implementing two early school leaving initiatives at present.

The eight to 15 early school leaver initiative was introduced on a pilot basis in September 1998 and involves 17 specific projects in 14 areas. Its purpose is to develop and test models of the delivery of supports for those young people who are at risk of educational disadvantage or are outside the formal school system while still of compulsory schoolgoing age. In 2000, I extended the initiative in the existing 17 projects for the period 1 July 2000 to August 2002.

In 2001 the 8 to 15 early school leaver initiative will be expanded, by invitation, to additional schools and projects which will be chosen on the basis of need and objective criteria. Work is currently under way on the identification of the new areas and schools. I would like to assure the Deputy that the additional resources will be targeted at the areas of greatest need.

In June 1999 the stay in school retention initiative at second level was launched, initially in 58 schools. This marked a significant departure from traditional policy in that funding of up to £40,000 per annum is being granted to targeted schools, on the basis of plans which they were helped to design themselves. The purpose of this initiative is to prevent early school leaving and raise senior cycle completion rates. In May 2000 an additional 59 schools were invited to participate in the initiative.

This initiative includes four schools in County Wexford. It is expected that further invitations will issue to schools to participate in the future. The selection of schools for invitation to participate has been based on overall enrolment figures and the number of pupils failing to remain in school up to the completion of the senior cycle. For some time my Department has been involved in a detailed analysis of data from individual schools which has allowed a more complete picture of early school leaving to be developed than has been the case in the past. This has allowed resources under the stay in school initiative to be targeted at schools through which they should reach the greatest possible number of young people at risk.

I am aware that the Christian Brothers secondary school in Wexford town and some other schools which have not been invited to participate in the initiative have planned and, in some cases, are implementing programmes to support those of their pupils who are at risk. I appreciate that these schools are doing very valuable work to retain young people in school.

The current method used to select schools for invitation into the initiative will be reviewed prior to issuing invitations to any further schools to participate in the initiative. The selection procedure will continue to target resources to where they benefit the greatest possible number of young people at risk. Consideration will, however, also be given to the possibility of providing supports for those schools who are already successfully implementing programmes to retain their most vulnerable pupils in school.