Early school leavers cost €4bn

THE Teachers’ Union of Ireland has claimed that for every group of students that starts secondary school each year, the number who do not complete the Leaving Certificate will end up costing the State €4bn over a 40-year working life, or €100m per year.

The union’s research found:

* Student drop-out is running at about 20% nationally. (considerably higher in urban areas). That translates to 10,000 students who start second-level any year not completing the Leaving Certificate.