New research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) suggests the social mix of childrens' schools and the neighbourhoods they live in, have an effect on their academic achievements.
The ESRI report shows current DEIS supports for schools in disadvantaged communities are not enough to bridge the gap.
Family backgrounds and the social mix of a child's school and the neighbourhood can all result in poor exam results.
Performance differs significantly by mother’s education, social class, family type and experience of financial strain.
These differences are sizeable, with a gap of over 100 points between the children of graduate mothers and those whose mothers have junior cycle education or less.
Those from professional and graduate backgrounds make greater academic progress between the Junior and Leaving Certificate exams than those from other social groups.
Emer Smyth, Research Professor at the ESRI, said: "You can say that it's not just money but if you've other resources like educational resources so, more educated parents will have greater inside knowledge of how to navigate the educational system for their child.
Emer continued: "They [educated parents] will also be in a position to be able to provide more home learning resources like books and more out of school learning opportunities like sport and cultural activities that can also boost in school learning."
