Thousands of students annually drop out of school between first and fourth year, according to a report which exposes how early students are quitting the system.

Students in disadvantaged schools are half as likely to go straight to college, statistics reveal.

CHERISHING all our children equally is supposed to be one of the cornerstones of what it means to be Irish, and that commitment should be a source for great reflection as we approach the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising.