Fine Gael's education spokesman, Mr Richard Bruton, has strongly criticised the Government's failure to address the problem of the 14,000 pupils - nearly 20 per cent of the total - who drop out every year before reaching the Leaving Certificate. Mr Bruton said 1,000 children did not make it to second-level; 3,000 leave second-level school without any qualification; 2,400 fail to get five passes in the Junior Certificate and drop out; and 7,800 get the Junior Certificate but drop out before the Leaving Certificate. "The hard reality is that these early school leavers are destined to experience over 40 per cent unemployment for want of appropriate skills. This will get progressively worse in the new Information Age," he said.