Rate of school ‘drop out to soar if funds denied’

STUDENT drop-out numbers will soar if the Government does not start investing to cater for a spiralling student population, a teachers’ union leader will warn today.

Department of Education projections suggest the numbers attending second level could rise from current levels, of around 340,000, by up to 8,000 a year between 2010 and 2015, and could reach 440,000 by 2030.

Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) general secretary Peter MacMenamin will tell a conference that the inability of the education system to support the most vulnerable students will be greatly worsened unless proper interventions are made now.

“Demographics show that our education system will come under unprecedented pressure, with student numbers at second level due to spiral upwards by 30% in the next 20 years. It follows that considerable additional investment will be necessary to give every child the best possible chance to obtain the Leaving Certificate at a very minimum,” a preview of his speech says.

The TUI education conference in Dublin will hear academics, children’s advocates, employer representatives and others speak about the importance of investment in education.

Mr MacMenamin will specifically warn about the need to restore funding for programmes and staff helping to reduce the risk of early school leaving.

One-in-five students drop out of school before Leaving Certificate but the figure is almost one in three in some urban areas, including parts of Dublin city.

“There is a real risk that this already unacceptably high rate will increase substantially unless the programmes, supports and frameworks that protect vulnerable children in the education system have full funding restored and are enhanced immediately,” MacMenamin warns.

“Unless appropriate, targeted investment is made in education now, student drop-out will reach crisis levels and the social, economic and health costs for the nation will be colossal.”

While some axed school funding is to be restored under the revised Programme for Government, Mr MacMenamin suggests any schools wishing to provide Leaving Certificate Applied or the Leaving Certificate Vocational programmes should be automatically allowed to do so.

He claims the loss of supports available to schools because of a moratorium on promotion to middle-management posts, such as year heads and pastoral care co-ordinators, is dismantling the critical support system that benefits the most marginalised students.

The TUI says the cost of an additional teacher on part-time hours could be as little as €5,000 a year when considering that the cost of dole and lost tax from an unemployed teacher would be more than €20,000.

Mr MacMenamin also calls for a removal of the cap on places in Post-Leaving Certificate courses and a freeze on third-level registration charges of up to €1,500, which have gone up 66% this autumn.