1. Dr. Paul Downes Director, Educational Disadvantage Centre Senior Lecturer in Education (Psychology) St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra, paul.downes@spd.dcu.ie

2. Commissioned Reports: - Count Us In. Tackling early school leaving in South West Inner City Dublin: An Integrated Response (2007) P. Downes and C. Maunsell. SICCDA and South Inner City Dublin Drugs Task Force - A Holistic Approach to Early School Leaving and School Retention in Blanchardstown (2006) P. Downes, C. Maunsell and J.Ivers. Blanchardstown Area Partnership. - Psychological Supports for Ballyfermot: Present and Future (2004) P. Downes. URBAN Ballyfermot. - Voices of children: St. Raphael’s Primary School Ballyfermot (2004) P. Downes. URBAN Ballyfermot. Questionnaires returned: Primary Schools: 852; Secondary Schools: 677 Total: 1,529 Focus Groups 57

3. NO MENTAL HEALTH STRATEGY FOR CONTEXTS OF EDUCATIONAL DISADVANTAGE: A KEY BARRIER TO PROGRESS

4. HEALTH ISSUES AND SCHOOL COMPLETION – ‘EDU-CARE’ Hunger in School Bullying Substance Abuse Student-Teacher Conflict Resolution Problematic Sleep Patterns among Pupils

5. Problematic sleep patterns among students: On the assumption that children at primary school need at least 8.5 hours of sleep, the results from our survey of pupil responses were divided into those who usually go to sleep before midnight and after midnight.

6. A mental health strategy and fund for contexts of socio-economic disadvantage Not one early school leaving problem: ESL is a behaviour with a range of motivations Beyond piecemeal approach of SCP, beyond 8 week bereavement courses Wider referral processes – reach withdrawn kids: ‘a slap in the face’ Need for prevention and early intervention: non-verbal therapeutic intervention Cf. Familiscope NEPS – Reactive to critical incidents Alternatives to suspension Drug prevention issue EARLY SCHOOL LEAVING IS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE !

7. Kaplan et al’s (1994) North American study of 4,141 young people tested in 7th grade and once again as young adults which found a significant damaging effect of dropping out of high school on mental health functioning as measured by a 10-item self-derogation scale, a 9-item anxiety scale, a 6-item depression scale and a 6-item scale designed to measure coping. This effect was also evident when controls were applied for psychological mental health as measured at 7th grade. The significant damaging effect of dropping out of school was also evident even when controls were applied for gender, father’s occupational status, and ethnicity

8. THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY BASED EMOTIONAL SUPPORTS Would you talk to an adult working in the school about your problems? Yes Primary240 No Primary300 Maybe/depends Primary 25 Don’t know Primary6 No Answer Primary 46 Yes Secondary131 No Secondary312 Maybe/depends Secondary 23

9. Galbraith – Culture of Contentment BUILDING ON STRENGTHS DO YOU THINK YOU WANT TO STAY ON AT SCHOOL UNTIL THE LEAVING CERTIFICATE ? Primary Pupils: 5th/6th Class Total: 750 yes80 no 2 probably15 don’t know 15 no answer

10. COMMON FINDINGS - evidence that some of the pupils and students that are most at risk of early school leaving are falling through the gaps and not accessing existing afterschool services, - the high levels of pupils experiencing problematic sleep patterns potentially affecting their academic performance and linked in some responses to levels of anxiety affecting their sleep, - a notable minority of pupils and students who stated that they have no one to talk with about their problems,

11. - the limited availability of drug prevention programmes in local schools, - the need for system level work with parents, for example, regarding early intervention strategies for their children’s literacy and speech and language development, - the need for early referrals, - the need for early intervention regarding speech and language development, and therapeutic emotional intervention.

12. The Special Rapporteur (2006) notes that the right to health is subject to progressive realization and this requires development of indicators and benchmarks:

13. The right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is given legal foundation by a range of international legal instruments, including: article 25 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child article 12 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women right to non-discrimination as reflected in article 5 (e) (iv) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

14. Indicators and benchmarks of the international right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health: Is it possible to incorporate some of these indicators within standard relative poverty indicators ?

15. The Special Rapporteur (2006) emphasizes the importance of focus on ‘disadvantaged’ individuals and communities in relation to the right to health: 25. in general terms a human rights-based approach requires that special attention be given to disadvantaged individuals and communities; it requires the active and informed participation of individuals and communities in policy decisions that affect them; and it requires effective, transparent and accessible monitoring and accountability mechanisms. The combined effect of these - and other features of a human rights-based approach - is to empower disadvantaged individuals and communities.

16. UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council 3 March 2006 COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS. Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt P. Downes Liverpool Law Review (2007), Special Issue on Historical and Contemporary Legal Issues on HIV/AIDS, Vol.28, 271-317 INTRAVENOUS DRUG USE AND HIV IN ESTONIA: SOCIO-ECONOMIC INTEGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF INDICATORS REGARDING THE RIGHT TO HEALTH FOR ITS RUSSIAN-SPEAKING POPULATION

17. A DISTINCT FUNDING STRAND FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE –SUPPORTED BY FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND LAW REFORM FOR MENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS FOR STUDENTS AT RISK OF SUSPENSION/EXPULSION - INCLUDING MEDIATORS - 10 MILLION FROM PRIVATE SCHOOLS FUND

18. Table 3. “At what time do you usually go to sleep on a weekday?” Before Midnight Midnight After midnight Varies/NA School A % 42%16%---42% School B % 54%16%15%15% School C % 78%9%6%7% School D % 83%6%---11% School E % 40%26%---34% School F % 60%8%---32% School G % 81%15%---4%

19. References: Downes, P (2003) Intravenous Drug Use and HIV in Estonia: Socio-Economic integration and development of indicators regarding the right to health for its Russian speaking population. Downes, P (2007) Liverpool Law Review (2007), Special Issue on Historical and Contemporary Legal Issues on HIV/AIDS, Vol.28, 271-317 Galbraith, John (1992) The Culture of Contentment. London: Penguin Kaplan, D.D., Damphousse, J.R. & Kaplan, H.B. (1994). Mental health implications of not graduating from high school. Journal of Experimental Education, 62, 105-123

20. UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council 3 March 2006 Commission on Human Rights Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Paul Hunt Cf. Argument that rates of early school leaving are a benchmark/indicator of a right to health norm