“The proper course would be to defer these proposals, however desirable they may be in themselves, until funds sufficient to pay for them become available at present taxation levels.”
She said Whitaker subsequently said in an interview that when he met Lemass to discuss the matter, he deduced from the smile on the taoiseach’s face that he had personally authorised O’Malley to make the announcement. At the time, one-third of all children were dropping out of school after finishing primary level and fewer than 50 per cent were still in full-time education by the age of 15.has one of the highest rates of second-level completion in the EU – 90 per cent – and has one of the highest proportions of school-leavers going on to third-level education.
Prof Hyland, a member of the team involved in putting the report together, recalled that the report laid the foundation for O’Malley’s subsequent announcement.It ended up providing a template and a development plan for a nationwide system of post-primary education that would be accessible to all.