Children with physical disabilities are four times more likely to leave school before the minimum school leaving age than non-disabled teenagers, a report into disability has found.
More than 21 per cent of 15-year-olds with physical disabilities have left school, compared to 6 per cent of non-disabled people, according to research conducted by Eithne Fitzgerald, head of policy and public affairs with the National Disability Authority.
The report concludes that young people with physical disabilities are more likely to leave school with no qualifications beyond primary education. More than 21 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds with disabilities only have primary-level education compared to 4 per cent of non-disabled people.
The gap in educational attainment also extends to third-level qualifications, with only 11 per cent of the 25-34-year age group holding a degree, compared to 27 per cent of non-disabled people.
Ms Fitzgerald said the high occurrence of early school leaving among young people with physical disabilities could lead to poverty and unemployment.
She pointed to a survey five years ago which suggested that one factor causing young disabled people to leave school was the fact that only 17 per cent of schools were fully accessible to people with disabilities.
"There needs to be special consideration for these young people. Children with physical disabilities should be on the same spectrum of educational attainment and success as others but they are in fact performing much worse. As a society we need to remove the barriers that are prohibiting them," she said.
In the overall context of early school leaving, recent figures from the Department of Education suggest that one in 12 schools have a drop-out rate of more than 50 per cent. In general, boys are more likely to drop out than girls, with 28 per cent of males leaving school before Leaving Cert, compared with 12 per cent of girls.
The study by Eithne Fitzgerald, titled How far towards equality? was compiled based on research conducted by the ESRI using data from the Living in Ireland Survey 2001 and the Quarterly National Household Survey.