Students who do transition year secure much better grades in the Leaving Cert exam than those who do not, according to an unpublished ESRI report.
The finding contradicts the view among many parents that the programme is a wasted year in which students lose the habit of studying.
The report says transition-year students secure up to 8 per cent more in the Leaving Cert across a range of subjects than those who do not take the programme. The researchers found this trend was particularly marked in English and maths.
The central recommendation of the report, by Dr Emer Smyth of the ESRI, is that transition year should be made available in every school in the State.
The report, which took two years to research, is the most comprehensive examination of transition year since its introduction in its current format 10 years ago.
The researchers tracked the performance of the Junior Cert class of 1996. It compared the performance of those who sat the Leaving Cert in 1998 with those who took transition year and sat the exam one year later.
The report, which is being considered by the Minister for Education, Mr Dempsey, backs up the view that the year helps to boost a student's self-esteem and overall personal development.
The ESRI report supports the findings of the National Council of Curriculum and Assessment two years ago. In broad terms, this found that transition-year students secured an additional 42 CAO points compared to those who did not take the year.
The new evidence will help allay parental concerns that it is a "doss year". Last year the Institute of Engineers blamed transition year in part for the continuing low grades in maths and science subjects.
Parents have complained that students can find it difficult to return to study after the year, especially if they take up part-time work.
Last night the national co-ordinator of the transition programme, Ms Patsy Sweeney, welcomed the ESRI finding. It provided firm, factual evidence of what schools had been telling her, she said.
About 500 of the 700-plus second-level schools in the State now offer transition-year programmes as an option.
Some smaller rural schools do not have the resources to provide the course. Some 26,000 students, or about 50 per cent, opted to take the programme last year.
Transition year is compulsory in many private fee-paying schools.
Ms Delma Byrne and Ms Carmel Hannon also worked on the report.
