Study shows large disparity in early school leavers between North and Republic

The proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds who leave school with at most a lower secondary qualification is 14% in the North, compared to 6% in the Republic, new ESRI research showed.

Early school leaving is two to three times higher in the North compared to the Republic, and students from more disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to leave school early.

The finding is included in new research by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), the first study of its kind to compare North-South education and training systems.