In an unprecedented move, the employers' body, IBEC, has asked members not to employ Junior and Leaving Cert exam students.
The move reflects growing concern across the business community about failure rates in maths and science subjects in the Leaving Cert. The chief examiner in maths has said that the boom in part-time working among 15-18-year-olds is partly responsible for falling standards.
An ESRI study, due to be published later this month, shows the following:
The number of second-level students working part-time has increased from 30 per cent in 1994 to 70 per cent in recent years.
Students who work part-time achieve lower grades in their Leaving Certificate than those who do not.
Many Junior Certificate students are working in excess of 15 hours per week and their exam performance is weakened accordingly.
Students who work part-time are less likely to progress to further study after leaving school and will be more likely to drop out.
IBEC has written to its 7,000 members asking companies to subscribe to a code of practice that would preclude businesses from recruiting exam year students. It is also calling on companies to amend their recruitment policies to reflect the proposed arrangements.
IBEC's director of enterprise, Mr Brendan Butler, said there was a long-term gain for both employer and student in not employing students during their exam years. "International research suggests that such a measure will help students achieve higher grades in school and have the opportunity to continue in further training or study, thus ultimately providing the employer with the opportunity to have a more highly skilled base of young people available."
IBEC is also calling for more stringent implementation of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1996, which sets down strict conditions for the employment of young people.
The Act sets out that people aged 14 and 15 (the age at which they are likely to be sitting the Junior Certificate) can only be employed on light work. A 14- year-old cannot be employed during term time, while a 15-year- old may work a maximum of eight hours per week during term time. The Act also provides that a 15-year-old may not work between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
At present, the legislation is policed by the Labour Inspectorate in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Under the recent review of the pay terms of Sustaining Progress, it was agreed that an additional four inspectors would be recruited. IBEC is calling for part of the remit of these new inspectors to be devoted to ensuring that the legislation is fully enforced.
"It does not seem too much to ask that students would refrain from working for just over 20 weeks a year on two occasions during their education," Mr Butler commented.
