Educational Disadvantage

Education is a right, not a privilege. It is a right that can make all the difference to a child. Education can give children the best start possible in life and set them on a path to opportunity and hope for a bright future.

Education is intrinsic to ensuring that children and young people develop intellectually and socially. It is also a powerful predictor of adult life chances. And yet inequality in education means that some children in Ireland do not reach their potential because their opportunities are limited before they begin. Without proper supports, many children living with disadvantage simply don’t have the resources they need to get an adequate education. Giving these children the tools they need to get their education is key to breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and redressing inequalities in Irish society. All children deserve to be supported fully to get the most from their education.

Key Statistics

  • Ireland’s early-years sector is underfunded and underdeveloped despite proven benefits to the child, economy and society. Research shows that adults who  received quality early years care and education had significantly higher educational attainment, higher earnings level and less likely to be involved in crime than those who did not receive quality care and education in early years. (Start Strong, 2011)
  • The OECD – PISA 2009 results show that 15 year olds who had attended pre-primary education perform the PISA Reading Assessment than those who did not, even after accounting for socio-economic backgrounds. (OECD PISA, 2011)
  • In 2009, children aged 15 achieved a mean score (495.6) on the OECD – PISA Reading Literacy Scale. This score was much lower than the score (526.7) achieved in the 2000 OECD – PISA study. Girls significantly outperformed boys and those in lower social classes had lower mean scores. (State of the Nation’s Children, 2010)
  • One in every 8 primary school children and one in every 6 secondary school pupil miss 20 days or more in the school year. The prevalence was higher among DEIS (designated disadvantage) schools. (State of the Nation’s Children, 2010)
  • Every year, around 9,000 young people leave school before taking the Leaving Certificate. The proportion of young people staying on in school has remained stable since the mid 1990s. Early leaving rates differ markedly by social class background, with much higher levels among young people from working-class and unemployed households (ESRI, 2010, No Way Back? The Dynamics of Early School Leaving.)
  • Early school leavers are 3 to 4 times more likely to be unemployed than their more educated peers. Early school leavers are more likely to report poorer health, long term illness, experience anxiety or depression and are 4.5 times more likely to be in receipt of a medical card.

Submissions

Campaigns

Written Out, Written Off 2009
This campaign was launched at a time of great uncertainty and upheaval in the education system. Severe cuts to the education budget had left many children and parents concerned about the future of education in Ireland.  Written Out, Written Off set out to evidence the serious gaps in the education system and the solutions needed to fill the gaps for those children living in disadvantage.

Download a copy of the Written Out, Written Off report here.
Download a copy of the ESRI research paper here.

Make the Grade Campaign


 
Download a copy of Make the Grade 2006 report here)