Government plans to increase school leaver age to prevent dropping out after Junior Cert

The Government plans to increase the legal school- leaver’s age to stop students dropping out of education after the Junior Certificate.

Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan has also promised to look at the provision of guidance counsellors which have been cut in many schools due to government cutbacks, leaving many students without access to such services in schools.

The change to the school leaver age is among several proposals in the National Skills Plan which includes 50,000 modern apprenticeship and traineeship places by 2020.