There must be greater targeted investment in schools and communities in disadvantaged areas following new research highlighting inequalities in Leaving Certificate outcomes, according to Social Democrats education spokesperson Jen Cummins TD.
Deputy Cummins said:
“The ESRI’s findings reinforce the need to strengthen supports for students and families living in lower socio-economic areas; that investment must be improved within the classroom but also extend to the wider community.
“The research reflects what many educators and youth workers have known for years: that the right supports within schools can transform opportunities for young people.
“As someone who worked in the School Completion Programme for 18 years, I saw first-hand the barriers that many students and their families face. That experience highlighted for me the importance of sustained investment in schools serving disadvantaged communities, but also the need to support the families and communities around those schools.
“There’s a deep connection between social and educational disadvantage, and a student’s performance differs significantly by their mother’s education, social class, family type, and experience of financial strain.
“This shows that educational inequality does not exist in isolation. If we want children to succeed in school, we must also support the families and communities they come from. The current DEIS model has played an important role in these areas but it is clear that a more targeted and holistic approach is now required.
“We need stronger school-based supports such as guidance counselling, mental health supports, and therapies that keep young people engaged in education. At the same time, we must invest in community and parental supports that help families, from community education programmes to youth services and local initiatives that create supportive environments for young people.
“Education can be the greatest tool we have to break cycles of disadvantage, but that will only happen if we invest properly in the schools and communities that need support the most.
“The government must now respond to this evidence by strengthening supports for disadvantaged communities and ensuring that every child, regardless of where they live or their family background, has an equal opportunity to succeed in education.”
March 12th, 2026