Jimmy Deenihan
Question:22 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Education if, in view of the fact that she intends targeting extra educational resources to the disadvantaged, she will define what she means by disadvantaged.
Written Answers. - Educational Disadvantage.
Where access to education services is concerned, I would regard any individual or group as being disadvantaged if, for socio-economic reasons or because of handicap or disability, they are in any way impeded in participating in and benefiting fully from the normally available range of educational services.
The Programme for a Partnership Government attached particular importance to the need to address educational disadvantage in its variety of forms and the Deputy is correct in noting that it is my firm intenion to target extra resources in this area.
Indeed, as far as the particularly difficult area of socio-economic disadvantage is concerned, I am pleased to announce that an additional 80 ex-quota teaching posts will be made available to primary schools in disadvantaged areas with effect from September, 1993.
The procedures for selecting recipient schools for ex-quota posts have to-date been based on a range of socio-economic criteria agreed by a Working Party comprised of representatives of my Department, the INTO and schools' management. The factors taken into account have included the incidence of unemployment, Local Government housing and Medical Card holders among the parents of the children concerned. Account has also been taken of the views of my Department's Inspectorate on the relative levels of need between schools and the prevailing pupil-teacher ratios.
In the context of the proposed allocation of the 80 additional posts to disadvantaged schools, this Working Party is being reconvened to consider what, if any, refinements might be desirable in the arrangements for determining disadvantage.
As is the case with schools currently designated as disadvantaged, any new schools included in the distribution of the 80 posts will also receive an additional capitation grant at the rate of £17 per pupil.