Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 103: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has made a commitment that 90% of students will remain in school for the full senior cycle by 2010; the specific measures that will be taken to reach this target; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10732/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Under Towards 2016, the Government and the social partners have agreed to work together over the next ten years towards a number of long-term goals for children including the goal that every child should complete a senior cycle or equivalent programme appropriate to their capacity and interests. A key focus of the Government's education policy is to prioritise investment in favour of those most at risk and to optimise access, participation and outcomes at every level of the system for disadvantaged groups.

One of the high-level goals under the new National Development Plan 2007-13, and the recently published National Action Plan for Social Inclusion, 2007-16, is to work to ensure that the proportion of the population aged 20-24 completing upper second level education or equivalent will exceed 90% by 2013.

CSO data show that the educational profile of 20-24 year olds in Ireland has improved steadily over the last five years, as increasing opportunities have been made available in the further education and training sector. By 2005, 85.8% of 20-24 year olds had attained upper second-level education or equivalent, up from 82.6% in 2000 and putting Ireland way ahead of the EU average of 77.5%. The EU has set a benchmark in the context of progress towards the Lisbon objectives in education and training, that at least 85% of 22 year-olds in the EU should have completed upper secondary education by 2010.

The total provision for educational inclusion programmes in 2007 is nearly €730 million across all levels of education. This represents an increase of nearly €95 million on the comparable 2006 figure. The 2007 provision includes additional funding for the implementation of measures under the DEIS action plan at pre-school, primary and second-level, additional funding for further education programmes and an increase in provision for third-level student support schemes.

This Government has pursued a dual strategy of both encouraging more young people to finish school and ensuring much greater second chance and further education opportunities for those who have left school early. This kind of strategy ensures that young people are empowered to achieve their full potential, be that by sitting the Leaving Cert or by pursuing qualifications through other pathways such as Youthreach or FAS apprenticeships which may be more appropriate to their individual interests.

With regard to curriculum, my Department's strategies have included widening the educational experience available to students, which aim to achieve a greater level of inclusiveness in curricular provision and meet the needs of the diversity of pupils in our second level schools, by expanding funding for programmes such as the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP), Vocational Preparation Training (VPT) and the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA). The Education Welfare Act and the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board is an important part in the campaign to keep students at school and will provide a comprehensive framework for promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving.

The key principle of early intervention underpins both the early childhood education measure and many of the literacy and numeracy measures being adopted under DEIS, the action plan for educational inclusion. The action plan will place a renewed emphasis on the involvement of parents and families in children's education in schools. The Department and the National Educational Welfare Board will work together to ensure that an integrated approach to children at risk is adopted.

Progression from primary to second-level is recognised as a crucial transition period in a child's education. Under the action plan, a continuing emphasis will be placed on the development of effective transfer programmes by building on the existing work of the Home School Community Liaison Scheme and the School Completion Programme. Home School Community Liaison and School Completion Programme services are being extended to all urban primary and second-level schools participating in a new integrated School Support Programme under DEIS.

Other measures such as extending access to Schools' Business Partnerships, school meals, guidance counselling and student councils will also be facilitated through the action plan. In addition, increased integration will be promoted between the work of second-level schools and centres catering for young early school leavers, particularly Youthreach centres and Senior Traveller Training Centres.

Also central to the success of the action plan will be an increased emphasis on planning at school and school cluster level, target-setting and measurement of progress and outcomes to ensure that the increased investment is matched by an improvement in educational outcomes for the children and young people concerned.