EDUCATION

Factors That Influence Educational Achievement

  • Parents’ attitude to education: Parents who value education will instill this in their children. When parents have a positive approach to education they encourage and support their children’s learning, this generally results in a student who wants to learn.
  • Parents Level of education: Children of parents who are well educated tend to do better in school. Educated parents can offer support in terms of subjects, career choices and the exam system because they understand the education system themselves.
  • Child intellectual ability: A certain amount of intellectual ability is inherited, but this must be nurtured by encouragement and support from parents and teachers. A student who has natural intellectual ability but does not study hard will not reach their potential.
  • Family size: The greater the number of children in the family, the larger the financial and emotional strain on the family. Children of larger families may be more constrained due to financial limitations, i.e. the family may not be able to afford for all the children to attend third level. Also there may not be enough time to help all the children with homework and project work.
  • The home environment: Poor housing conditions can hinder and good housing conditions can advance, a students’ performance at school e.g. poor heating may cause a child to be susceptible to illness which may result in them being absent from school regularly.
  • School Environment: Classroom size, pupil-teacher ratio, streaming, mixed ability classes, special needs assistants, classroom management and discipline all play a part in a student’s educational achievement. Bullying and negative peer pressure can have a negative impact on the student’s educational achievement.
  • The local environment: Students from areas where there are high levels of crime, anti-social behavior, vandalism, drug abuse etc. are often poorly motivated and this impacts on educational achievement. Schools in deprived areas may have more students with discipline problems and who see no real value in education.

Initiatives to Improve Educational Accessibility (Higher Level Only)/ Schemes to Encourage Young People to Remain in Education

The Early Start Project

  • This project is offered to children aged three to four years from disadvantaged areas.
  • It’s a one year project.
  • It is offered for 2½ hours a day.
  • Each early start centre is set up in vacant classrooms and caters for up to sixty students.
  • It is operated by a qualified primary teacher assisted by childcare assistants.
  • It is paramount that parents are involved in the programme.
  • The aim of this initiative to enhance the child’s overall development and therefore provide a solid foundation for successful educational achievement.

Home School Community Liaison Scheme

  • This was established in 1990.
  • It targets students who are at risk of not reaching their full potential in the educational system because of educational or social disadvantage.
  • The scheme encourages disadvantaged students to attend school and promotes co-operation between home community and school.
  • A home school community liaison officer is assigned to communicate between all parties involved in the scheme; this is usually a teacher from the school.
  • The home school liaison officer has access to specific funding and this is provided by the department of education and skills.
  • The work of the co-ordinator includes home visits, organisation of in-school activities for parents, and advising and supporting parents.

Youthreach

  • Youthreach is a joint programme between the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
  • It is for early school leavers aged 15 to20 years old and without qualifications.
  • The Youthreach programme provides opportunites for basic education, personal development, vocational training and work experience.
  • The course generally lasts from one to two years.
  • A foundation certificate from the further education and training awards council (FETAC) or the junior certificate is attainable.
  • This gives the opportunity to progress to the Leaving Certificate Applied course, a higher level FETAC award or to continue other training i.e. an apprenticeship course.
  • The courses take place in Youthreach Centres managed by Vocational Education Committees (VECs) and FAS Community Training Centres.
  • The Youthreach programme is widely available in Ireland with over 120 centres and 6,000 places available for trainees.

Vocational Training and Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)

  • This provides courses of up to two years for long-term unemployed over 21 years of age.
  • The scheme provides courses from basic educational literacy, numeracy and personal development at junior and leaving certificate level and FETAC awards at level 3,4 and 5.
  • The Department of Education and Skills draws up the guidelines and the scheme is managed and provided at local level by Vocational Education Committees.

National Education Welfare Board

  • The National Education Welfare Board(NEWB) is the national agency established to ensure that every child attends school regularly, or at least receives an appropriate minimum education.
  • It also advises the government on school attendance.
  • It employs educational welfare officers at local level throughout the country to provide support and advice to parents and schools and to follow up on absences from school.
  • It monitors school attendance and takes a range of measures where children do not attend school.
  • If a child misses 20 days in a school year, the school must notify the NEWB.
  • The NEWB maintains a register of young persons of 16 and 17 years of age who leave school early to progress their education or go into employment.