EARLY INTERVENTION CAN REDUCE DROP OUT NUMBERS SAY GREENS 15|08|03

Reacting to the figures published today regarding the drop out rates in second level schools Green Party Education spokesperson, Paul Gogarty TD stated that both Junior and Senior cycle participation needs to be tackled at an earlier level.

“It makes far more sense to allocate resources between the Departments of Education, Social Community and Family Affairs, and Justice at an early stage. Otherwise it makes it a far more difficult task to keep people in school later on. Tackling these issues requires an increase in funding that Charlie McCreevy will simply not sanction and levels of co-ordination and new staff recruitment that are not likely to be met in the short term. Especially given this Government's ideologically driven response to tacking long term social and educational issues.”

“The problem of school drop outs requires intervention for young teenagers via special training programmes, but tackling the issue long term requires major intervention at primary level. Schools around the country, particularly in Dublin and most evidently in disadvantaged areas are fighting an uphill battle. Due to social issues that have never been dealt with effectively, there are some children going to school who can be identified as future anti-social threats or at the very least drop-outs by the age of seven.”

“What we need is a cross departmental approach, one that puts the children first. However, I have no doubt that the lack of political will to tackle this issue will be mirrored by a lack of funding and little will be done to reduce the number of students who drop out of the education system. The Green Party are calling on the Minister for Education to show some initiative and to act now with a view to reducing the number of students who drop out going forward.”