John O'Mahony (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 633: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the numbers of second level schoolchildren who failed to complete the leaving certificate examination in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 for each county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27661/09]

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The latest report entitled "Retention Rates of Pupils in Second-Level Schools 1999 Cohort" which is available on my Department's website at the following address: www.education.ie under Statistics contains details in tabular form on the numbers of students failing to complete the Leaving Certificate in 2005. Data showing the proportions of students dropping out by County are available in Table 5 of this Report. This information is not currently available for later years. It is intended to update the information on Leaving Certificate completion for 2006 and 2007 in the coming months.

My Department has adopted a broad-based approach to tackling early school leaving. This includes the work of the National Educational Welfare Board, established under the Education Welfare Act, 2000, to monitor attendance and help to get young people back to school. Enhancing attendance, progression, retention and attainment are central elements of DEIS. Targeted interventions include the School Completion Programme, Home School Community Liaison services, visiting teacher service for Travellers, additional funding for pupils at risk of early school leaving and alternative curricular options. On Monday 18th May, I announced that from the start of the next school year, in September 2009, a single co-ordinated School Support Programme involving the Home School Community Liaison Scheme, the School Completion Programme and the Visiting Teachers Service for Travellers will be integrated under the National Educational Welfare Board. This development will put in place structures to facilitate closer integration of the services at local, regional and national levels, increase effectiveness and help bring about real and meaningful improvements in services to confront in a cohesive way the underlying causes that impact negatively on the school life of children, particularly as they relate to school attendance, retention and attainment.

My Department has also widened the range of curricula available to students by promoting the Junior Certificate Schools Programme, the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, and the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme in addition to the traditional Junior and Leaving Certificate curricula.

I would like to assure the Deputy that we have greatly intensified our efforts in recent years to keep more young people in school and I will continue to prioritise further progress in this area.