School drop-outs - Education should not be spurned

THOUGH the immediate focus is on the crisis in our health service, there are many other social challenges that require urgent attention.

Just one of these is the dispiriting news that the school drop-out rate among 15-year-olds has more than doubled during the last 10 years. This is despite massive investment in increasing retention rates.

The figures show that 3,679 15-year-olds, or 6.6% of the 58,318 people of that age, had ceased full-time education when the census was taken in April last year. The equivalent rate was 5.5% in 2002 and 3.1% in 1996.

Gender comparisons show the drop-out rate for 15-year-old boys rose from 3.7% to 7% in the same decade and from 2.4% to 5.6% for girls.

Under the 2001 Education (Welfare) Act parents are obliged to ensure their children remain in full-time education until they are 16.

These figures, combined with the statement made by Brendan Kenny — who is charged with rejuvenating areas of Limerick facing huge social problems — that he knows of up to 100 children who have not attended school in the last year, make for worrying reading.

The link between cross-generational poverty and a lack of education is established and unless this spiral is broken Mr Kenny’s successors will face similar problems.

Among the 3,679 15-year-olds in last year’s census who were no longer in full-time education, only 209 left school in the previous year. No details were forthcoming for more than 3,300 children.

Even if there were no social consequences to such a number of children leaving education before they can have any meaningful qualifications, it would be wrong not to try to re-engage them and their parents with our education system.