Children in care more likely to repeat school year, leave school early
Of 3% All At Or Special A Separately, Class, Enrolled Special 14% In Last In Care Children Pared Year A Picture Of School School In With Children File Were Primary
Some 6% of children in care who were enrolled in school repeated at least one school year in primary or post-primary education, compared with just under 2% of all children, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Separately, 14% of children in care enrolled at primary school last year were in a special school or in a special class, compared with 3% of all children.
The data released by the CSO looks at educational attendance and attainment of children in care in January 2023 and children who left care since April 2018. The report analysed 7,534 of the 9,727 children in care during January 2023 or children who left care since April 2018.
Those analysed were successfully linked to other data sources including Revenue, the Department of Education and the Department of Social Protection.
In the academic year 2018/2019, a higher proportion of children in care were absent from primary or post-primary school for more than 20 days (11%) compared with all children (7%).
Of the children in care who started post-primary education between 2012 and 2015, 28% left school early without completing the Leaving Certificate. The percentage for all children was at 8%.
CSO Statistician Karola Graupner said: “Among children who left care since April 2018 and were aged 18 and over by January 2023, those that left school without completing the Leaving Certificate were less likely to be in either substantial employment or education in 2021 (66%) compared with those who did not leave school early (95%)."
Of the children in care enrolled at primary or post primary school, 6% repeated one or more school years compared with just under 2% for all childrenhttps://t.co/0BWIiEr2MV#CSOIreland #Ireland #EducationalAttainment #Education #PrimarySecondaryEducation #HigherEducation pic.twitter.com/9r53laJ250
— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) August 2, 2023
Approximately 90% of both children who left care and all children (and aged 18-22 by January 2023) were in substantial employment, enrolled in school, or in further or higher education for each of the years 2019, 2020 and 2021.
More specifically, for children that left care since April 2018 and were aged between 18 and 22 by January 2023, 37% were enrolled in further education and 15% in higher education in 2021.
This compares to the 11% of all children in the same age group who were enrolled in further education while 37% of all children were in higher education in 2021. Some children who left care and were in further education may have subsequently progressed to higher education.
There were 5,622 children in care in January 2023, while the total number of children who left care since April 2018 was 4,105.
The data excludes separated children seeking international protection as the figure was not included in the Tusla data available to the CSO.
In December 2022, 129 children in care fell under this category, according to the CSO. However, last month Tusla Interim chief executive Kate Duggan said in 2023 alone 220 separated children have approached the agency seeking international protection.