No Way Back? The Dynamics of Early School Leaving

Abstract

Education is a key determinant of adult life chances across Western societies and is especially so in Ireland. Young people with higher levels of educational qualifications are more likely to access high quality employment and receive higher pay levels in the immediate period after leaving school, and these advantages persist into adult life. Furthermore, more highly educated adults have broader social advantages, including improved health status (Smyth and McCoy, 2009). While the majority of Irish young people now stay on in education until the Leaving Certificate stage, a significant minority still leave school before the end of senior cycle, with a smaller but persistent proportion leaving during the junior cycle or even earlier (Byrne et al., 2009).