Early school leavers are between three to four times more likely to be unemployed than those who hold higher educational qualifications, according to a new study.
The research, which was carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) on behalf of Barnardos, was undertaken before the current economic crisis.
It reveals that those who leave school early tend to hold less skilled jobs and as a consequence, earn lower wages. In addition, early leavers are much more likely to become lone parents than those with higher qualifications and have poorer health.
The study suggests that leaving school early reinforces existing social and economic inequality because those those who decide to give up on formal education tend to come from working-class backgrounds.
Moreover, it warns that early leaving impacts heavily on the State due as it results in higher expenditure on welfare, health services and prison as well as lower tax revenue.
The Investing in Education: Combating Educational Disadvantagereport points to improvements over time in overall retention levels with the percentage of school leavers completing the Leaving Certificate or equivalent, rising by 4 per cent to 86 per cent from 2006 to 2007.
Speaking at the launch of the study in Dublin this morning, Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe said his department has adopted a broad-based approach to tackling early school leaving which included the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) to monitor attendance and help to get young people back to school.
ESRI's research provides the base for a new Barnardos' policy document entitled ' Written Out, Written Off, which was launched today. According to the document, investment in education yields significant economic and social benefits for society as a whole
It warns that targeting resources on disadvantaged schools is not enough to counter education inequality and says there is a need for "joined-up" policy between education, health and welfare services to address children's overall needs.
The Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland said the study offered conclusive evidence of the benefits of investing in education.
Asti general secretary John White said: “Young people who leave school without a qualification are more likely to be unemployed, have higher incidences of physical and mental ill-health and are more likely to depend on medical cards for significant periods of their lives.
“The increase in class size and reductions in funding for schools, especially the removal of the grant for school books, means that such students - and their families - will be particularly hard hit in September.”
Additional reporting PA
