Deis plan to emphasise retention of students up to Leaving Cert and beyond
A new government plan will focus on tackling rising absenteeism levels in schools and keeping more students from disadvantaged areas in education to Leaving Cert level and beyond.
On Tuesday, education minister Helen McEntee will publish a new Deis plan to focus on "improving the opportunities for children at risk of educational disadvantage".
It is understood that the plan will place a major emphasis on retention of students up to Leaving Certificate and improving progression rates to higher education and the world of work, as well as a major focus on school attendance and tackling the rate of absenteeism in both Deis and non-Deis schools.
Data from Tusla has shown a dramatic increase in absenteeism in recent years.
The latest figures, based on the 2022/23 school year, reveal that over 110,000 primary and 65,000 post-primary students missed 20 or more days during that academic year.
This compares to 54,890 primary school pupils and 44,874 post primary students missing 20 or more days before the covid pandemic in 2018/19.
There were higher rates of absence and also of student suspensions in Deis schools located in areas of economic disadvantage. In second-level Deis schools, 30.7% of students missed 20 days or more. This compares to 19.5% for non-Deis schools.
Ms McEntee will update Cabinet on her work to establish a new Deis+ scheme which will support schools with the highest level of educational disadvantage, particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy.
This includes the establishment of an advisory group with representatives who work with children from areas of high inter-generational disadvantage.
'Dedicated focus' to small businesses
Cabinet will also be updated by arts and media minister Patrick O'Donovan on the digitisation of the 1926 census, the first census carried out by the State, while enterprise minister Peter Burke will bring a memo establishing a new small business unit within his department.
Government sources said that the unit will mean that small businesses have "a dedicated focus and are recognised and acknowledged across Government, and emphasis is placed on them within the Department of Enterprise".
Also at Cabinet, social protection minister Dara Calleary will provide an update on the procurement competition to source investment management providers for the automatic enrolment retirement savings system.
Mr Calleary will also update ministers on the recruitment for the positions of board members for National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority (NAERSA), which will oversee the "My Future Fund" that will launch on January 1, 2026, following a recent government decision to delay the scheme.
'Shared history'
Meanwhile, Cabinet is set to approve cross-government engagement with the trans-European cultural initiative, 2027 The Year of the Normans - People of Europe.
The year-long commemoration in 2027 aims to celebrate "a shared history that has shaped the island of Ireland and Europe".
A government statement says that "throughout modern Ireland, the legacy of our Norman heritage can be found in our lands, laws, monuments, and built environment".
Participation in the initiative "aims to commemorate and recognise our Norman history, whilst also benefiting tourism and its associated economy".
Ireland's participation is being co-ordinated by the National Monuments Service.
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