One-in-four leave VEC education early

MORE than one-in-four teenagers are dropping out from some second-level schools before the Leaving Certificate.

This is despite major improvements in student retention in the last decade.

Government spending on disadvantage has been largely focused on schools in deprived areas, with vocational schools and community colleges run by city or county Vocational Education Committees (VECs) likely to enrol a higher proportion of children from poorer families.