Half of Mayo students think they will emigrate

According to data from Studyclix’s annual Student Sentiment Index, 48 per cent of Mayo students intend to emigrate some time in the future. The index uses data from 4,822 students in secondary school nationwide.

A range of day-to-day issues and national topics experienced by second-level students are explored in the survey which found that 56 per cent of students admit that the most stressful things in their lives was school. Some 55 per cent feel that they might be addicted to their phones and 24 per cent of those surveyed said that in the last year they have experienced cyber-bullying.

Regarding a same sex referendum, 80 per cent of students said that the referendum should be passed and 27 per cent of students at Mayo believed that religion should be mandatory at schools.

On this issue of emigrations, 46 per cent of males and 47 per cent of females thought that, at some point, they will emigrate. Mayo had 48 per cent of students saying they will emigrate, followed by 41 per cent saying maybe and 11 per cent indicated that they do not intend to emigrate in the future.

Only 3 per cent of students said they smoke whereas figures for those who drank alcohol were higher, with 47 per cent saying that they drink ‘regularly’. With first year students, around 88 per cent never drank alcohol and 6 per cent said they only drink on special occasions.