Leaving school early is bad for your health and prospects for future wealth, a researcher told a conference this week.

Dr Emer Smyth from the Economic and Social Research Institute said a matric certificate had become the minimum necessary for access to education and employment. But early school leaving also had striking effects on other aspects of people's lives.

For instance, early school leavers also had:

Higher rates of anxiety and depression.

Higher rates of smoking and heavy drinking.

Greater dependency on medical aids.

Higher rates of lone motherhood.

Higher rates of imprisonment.

Smyth told the National Association of Principals and Deputies at an annual conference in Galway, Ireland, that the committal rate in prison for early school leavers was 46.6 per 1 000 compared to 1.6 for those with a matric certificate or higher. They were also more likely to work in less skilled jobs and re-ceive lower average pay than their counterparts. She said there was a need for joined-up policy across education, health and welfare services. - The Irish Independent