Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Deputy Crowe referred to a figure of 1,000 pupils who do not transfer to secondary level. This figure appeared in an NESF report in 2002 which cited an estimate contained in a 1997 report that as many as 1,000 primary school pupils did not make the transition to secondary level. At some point someone estimated that the figure might be 1,000 and in the absence of any other study this figure was used in a report in 1997 and repeated in a 2002 report. There is no empirical evidence or data available to substantiate the estimate.

More recently, a census of schools at the end of the 2005 school year requested that they estimate the number of pupils who did not progress to secondary schools in the State. The cumulative figure arrived at in September 2005 was 263 children. A further category, "destination unknown", may have included children who had left the country or moved elsewhere in the State. The absence of accurate data provides further reason for having the type of database under discussion.

The online claims system, the precursor to a database in so far as it is an elaborate computer system, is being rolled out to all schools. It is important that this rollout is completed before we introduce new systems. The likely focus of the feasibility study will be on mapping existing data holdings, assessing the need for policy relevant indicators and data, identifying gaps in the data infrastructure and determining what type of database would be needed. We want to ensure the database provides information required by the Department or bodies such as the National Educational Welfare Board and National Educational Psychological Service on issues such as transfer or for the purposes of disadvantaged status schemes. The feasibility study will examine these issues.

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