Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 340: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary school pupils who drop out of the system after sixth class; and the number who leave school at 16. [4756/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Statistical returns made to my Department show that, between October 2003 and September 2004, 237 pupils from across all standards left ordinary classes in national schools and did not emigrate or go to any other school within the State. In addition, over the same period, 548 pupils left whose destination was unknown. Pending the introduction of an individualised primary pupil database, it is not possible to provide more accurate information on the destination or distribution of leavers by standard or to verify the accuracy or completeness of the above numbers.

In the case of post-primary education, data provided through the post-primary pupil database show that, between October 2003 and June 2004, 3,009 pupils left junior cycle without a formal qualification. Some of those would have emigrated with their families. In addition, over the same period, 1,384 pupils left at the end of junior cycle with a junior certificate.

The Government has taken several initiatives in recent years to encourage more of our young people to finish school, including the setting up of the National Education Welfare Board and the provision of extra supports for those at risk of dropping out through the school completion programme and home-school community liaison scheme. Also, under the new action plan for educational inclusion, the DEIS initiative, which I launched last May, extra resources are being provided to schools serving the most disadvantaged communities to help them to improve their retention rates.

It should also be remembered that many of those who leave school without a formal qualification proceed to various other education and training programmes, including Youthreach, as well as to pursue educational opportunities outside the State in the case of students who emigrated with their families.

Data from the Central Statistics Office highlight the inadequacy of any assumption that considering only what qualifications young people get in the formal school system gives one a fair picture of their level of educational achievement.

CSO figures indicate that the number of persons aged 20 to 24 that had attained at least a leaving certificate or equivalent level of education or training increased between 1999 and 2004. That growth reflects the increasing numbers of students now participating in second-chance further education and training programmes. The level of educational attainment of Irish young people is ahead of the EU average on that measure.

The Government has pursued a dual strategy of encouraging more young people to finish school and ensuring much greater second-chance and further education opportunities for those who left school early. That kind of strategy ensures that young people are empowered to achieve their full potential, be it by sitting the leaving certificate or by pursuing qualifications through other pathways, such as FÁS apprenticeships, which may be more appropriate to their individual interests. Thus, it is important that the Deputy appreciate that looking at just the level of achievement at school is not a fair assessment of the educational attainment of young people.