Education

A strong education is a
child’s passport to a thriving future

We know that education is the gateway to good physical and mental health, strong personal development, healthy relationships, stable employment and a better life.Yet children and young people from a disadvantaged background are more susceptible to not finishing their education, with 4,500 young people falling out of the school system before completing their Junior Cert, and with more boys dropping out than girls. A good education stops young people from falling through the cracks. Over the next five years, we’re committed to supporting projects and programmes that help reduce the number of children leaving secondary school without qualifications, and promote school retention and completion.

>1,000

children each year do not transfer from primary to secondary school

4,096

young people aged 15 to 24 have not received any formal education

75%

who read poorly at age 9 will struggle to read for the rest of their lives

From the day I started at the Life Centre it changed my life. It was such a different change to have teachers who support you and believe in you… From the moment you arrive here, you immediately become a ‘better’ person.
Leanne

With many young people, getting up and going to school every day is an amazing achievement that deserves congratulations and celebration! Anything positive beyond that could be considered a bonus. Within the busy school environment, we can all lose sight of this. The embedding of this programme in schools is an attempt to maintain focus upon empathetic communication and positive relationships. It is another step towards creating an environment where the little things aren’t overlooked. I can’t think of anything more important!

Conor Casby
SCP Officer, The School Completion Programme

With YOUR donation
and support we can

  • Fund more homework clubs and afterschool support around the country and rebuild the confidence of those young people who have fallen behind.
  • Recover the relationships that have been disrupted because of the pandemic by investing in youth work support and activities such as Summer Programmes and direct intervention.
  • Provide more flexible funding for the resources required by youth workers to keep young people engaged in their education.
  • Fund pioneering initiatives that improve levels of awareness among parents and carers with programmes that work with parent and children to overcome challenges.
  • Support a range of targeted programmes that help deliver an increase in the numbers of students transitioning from primary to secondary school.
  • Fund innovative research and new models in the area of early school-leaving and school completion in order to provide communities, professionals and decision-makers with the best insights and data.

How you can help

Our aim is to reach 45,000 children and young people who are living in disadvantaged circumstances across Ireland. 

To do this, we need to support a wide range of youth projects as well those incredible youth workers who work tirelessly, and often voluntarily, to ensure children and young people have a future to look forward to.

But we can’t do it without you.

Whether you are a business or an individual you can help.

INDIVI
DUALS

BUSI
NESS

OUR SUPPORTERS