Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2004
18 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Education and Science the steps being taken to counter the drop out rate, either in terms of those who do not transfer from primary to second level, or those who leave the system before completing the junior or leaving certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5260/04]
Amharc ar fhreagra80 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of students who leave school without completing the leaving certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5211/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 80 together.
The most recently published analysis by my Department of retention rates at second level was released in August 2003. The report indicates that approximately 12,500 — 18.2% — young people leave school annually without the leaving certificate.
The latest information published in the NESF report 2002 on early school leaving estimated that between 700 and 1,000 young people do not transfer from primary to second level. My Department is currently completing analysis work for the development of a primary pupil database, which will facilitate the collation of comprehensive data on transfer rates from primary to post primary level in the future. The problem of early school leaving is complex and addressing it requires action on a number of fronts, including legislative and curricular reforms and preventative interventions. This is the approach that my Department is taking.
The Education Welfare Act 2000 and the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board provides a comprehensive framework for promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The Act requires schools to draw up school attendance strategies to promote regular school attendance, tackle the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. The board is developing a nationwide service which is accessible to schools, parents-guardians and others who are concerned with the welfare of young people. It has announced the establishment of five regional teams with bases in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford and the availability, for the first time, of an educational welfare service in the cities of Limerick, Galway and Kilkenny and in 13 towns, 12 of which are designated under the Government's RAPID programme. The total staff complement of the board is 84.
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 by expanding funding for programmes such as the junior certificate schools programme, JCSP, the leaving certificate vocational programme, LCVP, vocational preparation and training, VPT, and the leaving certificate applied, LCA. The Giving Children an Even Break programme provides additional financial and teaching supports for children in primary schools from disadvantaged backgrounds who are most at risk of educational disadvantage and early school leaving.
The school completion programme has been implemented to directly target those in danger of dropping out of the education system and 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 focus of the school completion programme is on young people between the ages of four and 18 years and aims to develop local strategies to ensure maximum participation levels in the education process. It entails targeting individual young people of school going age, both in and out of school, and arranging supports to address inequalities in education access, participation and outcomes.
There are also five youth encounter projects, YEPs, three in Dublin and one each in Cork and Limerick, which are supported by my Department to provide educational facilities for young people aged between ten to 15 years who have become alienated from the conventional mainstream education system. The projects liaise closely with specified schools in their catchment areas.
Such concentrated and focused deployment of funds should lead to increased numbers of young people completing second level education and in that way most effectively assist in addressing the problem of early school leaving.
