More money needed to keep pupils in school, says Dempsey

EDUCATION Minister Noel Dempsey has admitted more money must be spent on keeping young people in school, after it emerged that one-in-five drop out before finishing second-level education.

A Department of Education report on retention rates in post-primary schools also found that more teenagers leave vocational schools earlier than those in the voluntary secondary or community and comprehensive sectors.

The Labour Party last night called for more measures to address the drop-out problem, beginning as early as pre-school education.