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New research shows that over 50 per cent of students who were enrolled in the final year of Senior Cycle in a Department of Education & Skills-supported post-primary schools in 2010 went directly to higher education. A further 28 per cent progressed to further education, training or continued second-level education. Some 10 per cent took up employment while 7 per cent had Social Welfare claims.

In another new study, DES has also tracked early leavers, who left DES-supported post-primary schools between the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 academic years. This research, which forms part of a new data series, found that 55 per cent of these early leavers went on to further education or training or continued in second-level education in Ireland such as Post-Leaving Cert courses. A further 14 per cent were enrolled in education or training outside of the State and amongst the early leavers, 6.6 per cent had Social Welfare claims while another 6 per cent had joined the workforce during 2010.

Education Minister Ruairí Quinn welcomed the new data series saying:

This new research will provide a baseline for tracking school leavers in the years ahead and will fill current data gaps. It will enhance the information used by the Department to plan for the future education needs of our school leavers.

Data showing where school leavers went after completing the Leaving Certificate in 2010 is contained in School Completers - What’s Next? It found that of the 54,824 school leavers that year, 44per cent went on to study for a Higher Education course in a HEA funded Institution. Another 20 per cent enrolled in PLC courses and 5 per cent repeated the Leaving Certificate. An estimated 4 per cent enrolled in colleges abroad, predominantly in the UK, including Northern Ireland, just over 2 per cent were estimated to have enrolled in a non-HEA funded Institution.

Read the full press release

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