I am very conscious that the School Completion Programme (SCP) delivers a valuable service for some of our most vulnerable young people. The Programme is a core and continuing component of provision under the Educational Welfare Services (EWS).
Tusla EWS have advised that approximately 38,000 children and young people per annum have come into contact with the programme annually, since SCP's operational responsibility was transferred to the Agency in 2014.
Please find the number of primary and secondary schools students who have participated in the SCP in each programme year since 2014 (as received from Tusla EWS) set out in the table.
Year
|
No. of Primary and Post-Primary School Participants in SCP
|
2014
|
38,000
|
2015
|
38,000
|
2016
|
38,000
|
2017
|
38,000
|
2018*
|
24,899 (targeted provision)
69,775** (universal provision)
|
*Tusla changed method of recording participant engagement
**Includes once off events