Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 44: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will make a statement on the school drop-out rate for primary and post-primary education. [28561/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The emphasis placed by Government on tackling educational disadvantage in recent years is unprecedented. Since 2003, we have increased investment in educational inclusion measures at all levels by no less than 60%, spending €730 million in 2007.

We are determined to ensure that young people from disadvantaged areas get the support they need to encourage them to finish school. To this end, we have provided additional investment in a wide range of areas, including extra teachers, grants for books, homework clubs, school meals and summer camps. We have also expanded access to important services such as the home school community liaison scheme and the school completion programme, which work with students at risk of early school leaving and their families.

There are now approximately 620 staff working in services such as these, including more than 130 extra posts allocated under the DEIS action plan over the past two years. In addition, the National Educational Welfare Board now has more than 100 staff and is specifically tasked with tackling attendance problems that if left unchecked can culminate in young people dropping out of school.

There is an emphasis under DEIS on helping children to make a smooth transition to second level. Initiatives such as familiarisation days and week-long transfer programmes have been shown to have been very successful in that regard. Schools participating in the school support programme under DEIS are being encouraged to prioritise the development of effective transfer programmes for pupils making the transition to post-primary education.

In terms of achievement at post-primary level, it is important to examine the issue in terms of attainment of second level education or equivalent rather than just school completion. Focusing just on school devalues the hard work of students who continued their education in Youthreach centres, went on to train for apprenticeships through FÁS or acquired qualifications through other equally valuable routes.

The Government is encouraged by data that shows that the attainment levels of our young people have improved significantly in recent years. By 2006, 85.4% of Irish people aged 20 to 24 years old had obtained upper second level education or equivalent — up from 82.6% in 2000 and significantly ahead of the EU average of 77.8%.

The improvement in the proportion aged 20 to 24 years old with at least second level education or equivalent in recent years is testament to the success of the dual strategy of both improving school completion levels and increasing access to second chance and further education.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

Further improvements in the availability of second chance education are a priority for us. As the Deputy may be aware, funding has been provided for 400 extra Youthreach places this year. Six hundred more places are due to be provided by 2009 under the Towards 2016 social partnership agreement.

We are also conscious that the content and perceived relevance of the school curricula have an important effect on students' motivation and desire to finish school. Under the DEIS plan, more students in disadvantaged areas will have access to the junior certificate schools programme and the leaving certificate applied programme.

There is evidence that the Government's focus on improving school completion rates and attainment levels in recent years is making a difference. I assure the Deputy that further improvements in this area will continue to be a priority for us in the years ahead.

Social inclusion measures across other Departments have also been prioritised under the Towards 2016 agreement, the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion and the national development plan.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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The Minister did not answer the question. My question related to the school drop-out rate. Is she aware that in the census report of 1996, approximately 3% of students had dropped out of post-primary education by the age of 15 years? The latest data from the 2006 census shows that the figure is 6.6%. Last year, 3,700 students had left post-primary education by the age of 15 years. That is a doubling of the school drop-out rate over the past ten years. Will the Minister accept that her Government and her administration over the past ten years have failed miserably to tackle this problem?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy is referring to the census figures but these figures do not agree with the Department's estimate of participation rates for 15 year olds.

Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Surprise, surprise.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is widely accepted that the participation rate of 15 year old students is within 0.5% of the total numbers. Clarification on this question was sought from the Central Statistics Office and the Taoiseach answered a question on it last week when he stated: "It should be borne in mind that the figures for persons aged 15 years may be affected by the fact that this age was used in a filter question on the census questionnaire, resulting in a possible over-statement of the number of 15 year olds who have ceased education". The CSO provided this information to the Taoiseach stating it was not a straightforward question to 15 year old people about their standard of education and whether they were still in school. The question was to the effect that if they were under age 15 they should skip to number 34 on the next page, and the CSO has said that a higher number than expected skipped the entire question on education. It is widely accepted that we could not depend on that figure because of the nature of the way in which that question was put. It was a filtering question rather than a direct question put to 15 year old people. All of the evidence the Department has, and on international surveys, shows that our participation rates and school completion rates for 15 year old students are much higher than most of the European average, as I have already identified.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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We are now in the unusual situation where the Minister is attempting to rubbish the independent impartial figures that have been produced by the CSO. That is astonishing because her Department has used the CSO figures for the past ten years to back up its case. Will the Minister respond to the recent comments by the chief executive officer of the National Education Welfare Board? He stated:

We are available in the most disadvantaged areas but outside that we are just working with crisis cases. We would prefer to be doing a lot more preventative work and early intervention work.

My understanding is that the National Educational Welfare Board has sought 50 additional officers to help children falling through the education system and that the Department is prepared to give 15 of the 50 requirements. Is this not a case where the Minister sets up a body, refuses to fund the body and then blames the body and everyone else for her own failures in this area?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The information I gave in respect of the census was that given by the Taoiseach in reply to the same question last week on the 15 year olds and it is a valid answer. The National Educational Welfare Board is one part of the picture. It has 109 people employed currently doing very valuable work throughout the country.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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It has 85 officers in the field.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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No. There are 109 people employed in the National Educational Welfare Board.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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There are 85 officers in the field.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Minister, without interruption.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Misinformation.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are 620 people working directly with young people at risk of dropping out of school and the work they do is just as valuable. They are the home school community liaison people who are a link between the parents and the schools to ensure the children stay on in school. They are the school completion fund programme co-ordinators who organise activities such as transition into primary and secondary schools, summer camps, study camps and the DEIS programme, which is targeting——

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Is Mr. Ward wrong?

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The changes in curriculum have also ensured that young people stay on in school.

Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
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Mr. Ward is wrong, is he?

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Minister, without interruption.

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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It is a much broader report. The National Educational Welfare Board is the stick element of it. The rest of them are the carrot element, and both are necessary.