Education facts

2. Education facts Annually, 3,200 young people leave the education system without any qualifications. A further 10,800 leave the education system with only Junior Certificate qualifications. 75% of children from the Travelling Community leave school with no qualifications. Almost 60% of early school leavers are at the lowest levels of literacy.

3. Equality of opportunity in education The Irish Constitution states that everyone is entitled to an education and no-one should be excluded because of background, religion, status in society or inability to pay. Article 42 of the constitution deals with education, though education is also a feature of Article 41, ‘The Family’ and Article 44, ‘Religion’, among others.

4. Barriers to education Exclusion from education is caused by the following factors: • Gender inequality • Socio-economic status – cost of education • Disadvantaged students – place of residence, type of school • Leaving school early (early school leavers – ESLs).

5. Gender inequality Gender inequality in education is not as pronounced as it was in the past – both boys and girls continue to third-level education. Textbooks are more gender neutral than in the past. Subject sampling is now offered in many schools. Inequality may still exist in subject choice or availability of subjects that were previously considered gender specific –especially in single-sex schools, e.g. Construction or Home Economics.

6. Socio-economic status Socio-economic status is often associated with one’s level of education – it can lead to educational advantage or disadvantage. Cost of education can have an effect on educational opportunity. Those from higher socio-economic backgrounds usually have access to more educational opportunities. Parents are more likely to have proceeded to third level and therefore motivate their children to do the same. Those from lower socio-economic backgrounds struggle with the cost of uniforms, books, etc. Parents may lack education themselves and may both be able to assist with homework, thus leaving their children at a disadvantage. The opportunity to attend third-level education is often tied to costs, though the Student Grant Scheme is attempting to address this issue.

7. Disadvantaged students Certain schools in the country are in designated areas of disadvantage based on the following factors: • Unemployment levels • Quality of housing • Basic literacy and numeracy information • High number of lone-parent families. Groups that may be regarded as disadvantaged in education include: • People with special needs • Children from immigrant families • Children from the Travelling Community • Young offenders

8. Children from the Travelling Community • Due to the custom of travelling, it is difficult to fully complete their education, thus making equality of opportunity in education difficult. • Members of the Travelling Community are more likely to leave school early. • There are up to thirty Traveller training centres nationwide, offering education and training to compensate for this inequality. • For more information visit: • www.paveepoint.ie • www.itmtrav.ie.

9. Young offenders Young people (U16) who, because of their environment, find themselves labelled as young offenders are provided with care, education and training while in detention or on remand to rehabilitate these young offenders in the following institutions: • Trinity House School, Lusk, Co. Dublin • Oberstown Boys School  • Oberstown Girls School

10. Early school leavers An early school leaver is someone who leaves school before the age of 16 or before completing three years of second-level education. A variety of home-, community- and school-based factors can contribute to early school leaving. Early school leavers are more likely to experience marginalisation, social exclusion and unemployment. Programmes to assist re-entry into education include: Youthreach, VTOS, PLCs and SOLAS. A School Completion Programme is in operation. Tracking of attendance of pupils is currently in operation in all schools (www.tusla.ie/services/educational-welfare-services).

11. Implications of leaving school early • Personal implications ESLs are more likely to: • Be unemployed • Be in precarious and low-paid jobs • Draw on welfare and other social programmes throughout their lives • Encounter difficulties in gaining a place in vocational training. They are less likely to: • Be ‘active citizens’ • Become involved in lifelong learning.

12. Implications of leaving school early • The social cost • It has been shown to lead to later social breakdown. • It leads to increased demand on the health system. • It leads to lower social cohesion. • It perpetuates the cycle of which it is part. • It results from interaction between family and social background, and school processes and experiences. • It is the culmination of what is usually a long process that often begins before a young person enters school.

13. Implications of leaving school early • The wider ‘economic’ costs • Lower productivity • Lower tax revenues • Higher welfare payments.

14. Causes of ESL ESLs are more likely to: • Come from workless households • Be male rather than female • Come from vulnerable groups, such as the disabled or those with Special Educational Needs (SEN) • Be teenage mothers • Experience physical and/or mental health problems • Come from minority or migrant backgrounds (in the EU as a whole, 30.1% of non-nationals are early school leavers compared to 13% of nationals) • Be concentrated in particular areas. In many cases, more than one of these risks is present, and multiple disadvantages increase significantly the likelihood of negative outcomes.

15. Improving access to education Financial support • Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance run by HSE as part of Supplementary Welfare Scheme. • Back to Education Allowance (BTEA) is available to the unemployed, single parents and those with a disability for approved second- and third-level courses. • Cost of Education Allowance paid at start of academic year. • Abolition of third-level fees for all EU nationals. • Grants for all third-level and further education colleges, subject to means testing.

16. Improving access to education Changes in examination systems • Level differentiation – higher, ordinary and foundation levels cater for varying abilities • Awarding of marks for practical exams, practical work, orals and report books allow for credit to be gained for areas of study other than from a final written exam • RACE (reasonable accommodation in certificate examinations) makes education more accessible to many students with learning difficulties and physical disabilities.

17. Improving access to education Contemporary initiatives: • Early Start project • Pre-school for Travellers • Community-based playgroups • Breakfast clubs • Home School Community Liaison Scheme • Early School Leaver Initiative (primary) • Stay in School Retention Initiative (post-primary) • Breaking the Cycle programme • Learning support/resource teaching

18. Improving access to education Contemporary initiatives: • Youth Encounter Projects • Travellers’ Education Needs • Junior Certificate School Programme • Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme • Leaving Certificate Applied Programme • YouthReach • Adult Literacy Programmes • Community Training Workshops and Programmes • Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) • Traveller Training Centres.

19. Key words for revision • Emotional • Equality • Formal • Fundamental • Gender • Socialisation • Inequality • Informal • Inherited • Institute • Liaison • Literacy • Moral • Numeracy • Opportunity • Optional • Physical • Specialised • Vocational