An Taoiseach Micheál Martin is to address an event marking 20 years of service by Fórsa members in the school completion programme (SCP) next Wednesday (30th March). The union’s School Completion Programme (SCP) Branch has organised the special symposium.

The SCP has been supporting young people at risk of early school leaving since 2002, and aims to have a significant positive impact on levels of young people’s retention in primary and second level schools and on numbers of pupils who successfully complete the senior cycle, or equivalent.

The Fórsa event will be addressed by Fórsa president and SCP coordinator Michael Smyth, Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan, the union’s head of education Andy Pike and a panel discussion will be hosted by Fórsa’s director of training and development Linda Kelly.

Guest speakers include Dr Emer Smyth, Dr Deirdre Mc Gillicuddy and Dr Paul Downes, along with former SCP students, parents and SCP staff who will take part in the discussion.

The programme coordinates school-based interventions that target those pupils most at risk of developing the kinds of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties that hinder academic achievement and the experience of engaging positively in the educational environment.

The programme offers an extensive array of in-school, after-school, out-of-school and holiday period support services aimed at enhancing pupil participation in education. Interventions are designed to address the needs of target pupils in each local area on either an individual or group basis.

SCP branch chair James Kavanagh said the event is designed to celebrate the service and the positive culture of the School Completion Programme developed over its first two decades.

“Many of the SCP’s coordinators and project workers across the country have been with the programme since the beginning, which reflects the depth of commitment of Fórsa members to providing this crucial service.

“Our members have maintained delivery of these services to vulnerable young people despite some serious setbacks, including cuts to our funding in 2009 which have yet to recover. Demand for our services grow every year, and the post-Covid school environment is full of new challenges to young people in education.

“We remain committed to providing the support they need, and our objective as a union branch is to ensure that government and funding bodies make the resources available,” he said.