The documents present data showing relationships between primary reading scores, mother's education levels, and secondary school completion rates. Higher professional and managerial jobs are associated with higher secondary school completion rates. Early school leaving is linked to increased risks of behavioral and emotional issues, poor literacy, dropping out of society, substance abuse, crime, and teen pregnancy. Breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty requires early intervention through family support services, school supports, youth programs, and investing more in early childhood education compared to current spending levels in Ireland.

2. Primary reading scores and mother’s education
300
250
200
1st class
150
5th class
100
50
0
NQ JC LC PLC Degree Postgrad

3. Literacy scores on entry to second-level school
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Higher prof. Lower prof. Non-manual Farmer Skilled manual Semi/unskilled Non-employed
manual

4. Leaving Certificate completion
100
90
80
70
60
% 50
40
30
20
10
0
Professional Employ/manager Non-Manual Manual Unemployed

5. Early School leaving -
Higher rates of anxiety and depression.
Higher rates of smoking and heavy drinking.
Greater dependency on medical cards.
Higher rates of lone motherhood.
Much higher rates of imprisonment.

6. Because of the drivers we know – poverty is a cycle that
has to be broken
Increased risk of -
Political & Economic System
• Emotional &
Poor or uneven investment in
infrastructure, schooling, job
Behavioural disorders
creation. Power balance. No
• Under performance in
Voice
school
• Poor literacy
• Drop out of school &
Systemic Societal society
+ =
Dysfunction Dysfunction • Drug & alcohol abuse
• Crime
• Teen pregnancy
100,000 Kids
Social & Cultural
Teen pregnancy, family & Generational Poverty
community strength, attitudes to Trap
education, success. Media. Life chances further
Societal & institutional prejudice diminished. Natural talent
& potential lost. Impact on
next generation
Source: One Foundation

7. What works to break the cycle?
Possible points & types of intervention - services
School Supports
Family Services Classroom management
Pre & Ante Natal
Parents
Home school liaison
Parenting Skills & Home Psychiatric Assessments
Home support workers Out of school/After school
Childcare
Youth Services
Mentoring
Special programmes -
Personal Development to
drugs and crime prevention
Community
& School Above all –
Early
Intervention

8. What we spend (US$ per head)
• Third level – $16,284 (OECD average $13,717)
• Second level – $10,868 (OECD average $8,972
• Primary level - $7,795 (OECD average $7,153)
• Pre-school – Almost nothing at all (OECD average $6,210)
• In overall terms we’re spending 5.6% of our national wealth on
all forms of education. The OECD average is 5.9%