Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2004
133 Ms Enright asked the Minister for Education and Science the figures for second level school completion; the percentage of students at second level who completed the leaving certificate examination for the most recent year for which statistics are available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20963/04]
View answerThe most recently published analysis by my Department of retention rates at second level was released in August 2003. The report indicates that for the 1994 cohort of students the adjusted senior cycle retention rate is 81.8%.
My Department's commitment to the retention of young people who are at risk of early school leaving is reflected in the national anti-poverty strategy, the National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2003-2005, and the latest social partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress, which contains the Special Initiative on Tackling Educational Disadvantage: Literacy, Numeracy and Early School Leavers.
My Department's approach to addressing the issue of retention rates in schools comprises legislative and curricular reforms as well as interventions to prevent early school leaving. The Education (Welfare) Act, which was fully commenced on 5 July 2002, established the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The general functions of the board are to ensure that each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. To discharge its responsibilities, the board is developing a nationwide service that is accessible to schools, parents and guardians and others concerned with the welfare of young people.
My Department operates a number of programmes which provide additional supports for children in primary and post primary schools from disadvantaged backgrounds who are most at risk of educational disadvantage and early school leaving. The Department's main programme for tackling early school leaving is the school completion programme, which was launched in 2002. This programme incorporates the learning experience and best practice derived from previous early school leaving initiatives and assimilates the eight to 15 early school leaver initiative and the stay-in-school retention initiative at second level. It is a key component of my Department's strategy to discriminate positively in favour of children and young people who are at risk of early school leaving.
The programme is based on an integrated cross-community approach to tackling early school leaving. There are currently 405 schools, 295 primary and 110 post-primary, participating in the school completion programme.
With regard to curriculum reform, my Department's strategies have included widening the educational experience available to students. These strategies aim to achieve a greater level of inclusiveness in curricular provision through such programmes as the junior certificate schools programme, the leaving certificate vocational programme, vocational preparation and training and the leaving certificate applied.
