Education dropouts - Every early school leaver is a worry

Two reports out today shine a penetrating light on worrying aspects of Ireland’s education system, underlining how vital it is in times of austerity to protect the resources of schools serving disadvantaged areas.

One report shows almost 4,500 children a year drop out of school between first and transition years while the other reveals that only 24% of pupils went on to higher education from schools involved in the Deis (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) scheme. Fortunately, the abysmally low figure for advancement to higher education is in contrast with the 49% of students from publicly funded non-Deis colleges who progressed to that stage. It is also heartening that half of all students who finished school in 2010 went on to higher education, including 44% at state-funded colleges.

The scheme based on disadvantage has run in 864 schools across the country, including 669 urban and rural primary schools and 195 second-level schools. Deis targets children with educational difficulties, mainly in communities beset by unemployment and economic deprivation. The aim is to improve the prospect of children from the time they enter preschool until they leave as young adults at the age of 18.