My Department commissions or undertakes evaluation reports from time to time on the impact of various educational programmes.
A formal cost benefit analysis study was not undertaken in respect of the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme. The programme was introduced in 1994 on foot of the Report of the Industrial Policy Review Group (the Culliton Report, published 1992) which recommended a strengthening of the vocational and technical dimensions of second level schooling. The LCVP programme attracted aid from the European Social Fund as part of the Vocational Preparation and Training Measure for the period 1994-99 and was costed and reported on regularly for this purpose.
An evaluation of the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme was published by my Department's inspectorate in 1998, and the results were generally positive. The emphasis on enterprise, active learning, integration of ICT and enhancement of career investigation skills were viewed very positively by students.
As part of the ongoing evaluation of schools, my Department publishes whole school evaluation reports, subject inspection reports, and reports on the operation of programmes, including Transition Year and the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, in individual schools. These are available on the website www.education.ie. In 2010/11, there were 37,213 students following the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme at an estimated cost of €325.6m per annum. These students follow linked business and/or technical subjects in the established Leaving Certificate, allied with a continental language, a strong focus on ICT, and the LCVP Link Modules — Enterprise Education and Preparation for the World of Work. The State Examinations Commission provides information on the results scored in the LCVP Modules.