Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

There is no up-to-date research on the number of children who do not transfer from primary to post-primary education on an annual basis. My Department is currently planning the development of a primary pupils database, which will facilitate the collation of much more accurate and comprehensive data on transfer rates in the future. Together with the current post-primary pupil database, this will allow much improved tracking of where children go after primary school.

Given the clear link between early school leaving and continued socio-economic disadvantage in adult life, the Government is determined to do all that is possible to ensure that every child gets all the opportunities and support they need to enable them to complete their education. To this end, we are providing increased resources for schools in disadvantaged areas to improve their school completion rates by offering extra supports for their students. These include extra educational supports and services such as breakfast clubs and homework supports. Working with parents to promote school attendance is also an important part of the work of the home school community liaison officers appointed to our disadvantaged schools.

Other measures designed to improve school completion include the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board in 2002. The priority the Government attaches to tackling early school leaving is evident from the fact that the budget for the welfare board has been increased by 20% in 2005. In addition, €24 million is being provided this year for the school completion programme, a key element of which is developing strong links between primary and post-primary schools in disadvantaged areas.

Under the new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, which I launched in May, additional supports are being targeted at children in the most disadvantaged schools to encourage them to stay in school. The key principle of early intervention to identify and help children at risk of leaving school early is a major component of the plan.

Under DEIS, a continuing emphasis will be placed on the development of effective transfer programmes for pupils making the transition to second-level, by building on the existing work of the HSCL scheme and the school completion programme in this area. Initiatives such as familiarisation days and week-long transfer programmes for new entrants to second level have been shown to have positive results in helping children to make a smooth transition to their new school. I am anxious that a strengthening of such programmes be prioritised under the new action plan.

Primary teachers can help their post-primary colleagues to be aware from the start of difficulties facing particular children and how to help them to settle into post-primary school and minimise the risk of them dropping out. All primary and post-primary schools in disadvantaged areas must work in close partnership if we are to ensure that the transition from first to second level is as smooth as possible for all children and that support for such partnership is provided under the DEIS programme.

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