Thank you for selecting this very important matter. I wish to share my time with Deputy Dan Wallace.
Adjournment Debate. - “Breaking the Cycle” Scheme.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter this evening. Will the Minister of State explain to the House why two schools in Cork city, one in Knocknaheeney and the other in Churchfield, were not included in the list of schools chosen for the "Breaking the Cycle" scheme? That decision flies in the face of natural justice. I appeal to him to intervene and to take the necessary steps to have the scheme extended to the two schools in question.
This is a good scheme, the purpose of which is to give an extra leg up to children who are struggling to surmount the adverse social and economic effects of long-term unemployment in their community; in other words, to give them a fair start in life, Knocknaheeney and Churchfield have unemployment levels in the region of 80 per cent — stubborn, long-term, second generation unemployment. By any objective standards, these two schools ought to have been top of the list of eligibility for this scheme. Their exclusion beggars belief. I know the Minister of State knows the exact details of the situation. I ask him to ensure the necessary steps are taken immediately to remedy this gross injustice.
I thank Deputy Quill for sharing her time with me on this matter which I also raise. In common with the majority of people, I warmly welcome any initiative which attempts to address the major inequality in the take up of education services throughout the country. While the ultimate price paid for any under use of the education system becomes evident when one examines second level completion rates and third level participation rates, there is little doubt that the problem starts at the first level. Therefore, I am particularly optimistic about the possible impact of the Minister's initiative, entitled "Breaking the Cycle", which on a trial basis involves significantly reducing the pupil teacher ratio in selected schools throughout the country.
As is the case with any expenditure of State resources, it is important that fair, open and equitable criteria are applied in the identification of schools which are most deserving of inclusion in the test programme. Unfortunately, in the case of "Breaking the Cycle", the available evidence strongly suggests these vital principles have not been honoured.
In particular, two schools on the north side of Cork city — Scoil Padre Pio in Churchfield and St. Mary's on the Hill in Knocknaheeney — have been excluded to the total dismay and astonishment of anyone with even the remotest idea of educational needs in Cork city. These two outstanding schools play a vital role in the north side communities which have suffered so much from unemployment and its side effects. It is simply not believable that these schools do not come near the top of the list of appropriate schools for inclusion in the scheme.
Any fair assessment of the matter leads to only one conclusion, namely, that some clerical error must have taken place in the selection process. If that is the case, I urge the Minister to proceed immediately to rectify the matter. A response along those lines from the Minister could only enhance the scheme and the Minister's standing among the extremely committed educationalists in these two schools. If, on the other hand, the Minister decides to retain the status quo and continues to put the request to one side, we will have no alternative but to request detailed and explicit information on the precise criteria used to select schools for the scheme and the specific operating procedures followed.
The matter is of such importance that I have to state clearly and without reservation that we have no option but to pursue it to a fair and just conclusion. I urge the Minister not to place a cloud over the scheme by continuing to exclude those two highly deserving schools. All that the boards of management, principals, teachers, students and parents of the schools are seeking is fair play — they will settle for nothing less and neither can we.
I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Bhreathnach.
The Minister is aware that the two schools in question were not included among those selected for the urban phase of the "Breaking the Cycle" initiative. It is, of course, the case that four schools from the north side of Cork city — the schools in question are Scoil Colmcille CBS, Blarney Street; St. Marks BNS, The Glen; St. Brendans GNS, the Glen; and Scoil Aiseirí Chríost Senior, Farranree — have been selected for inclusion in the scheme on the basis of being among the top 25 schools selected by the Education Research Centre. Indeed, a further school from the north side of Cork city, Scoil Iosagáin, Farranree, has also been included by virtue of its close association with Cork schools which scored among the top 25. A total of 16 extra teaching posts are being allocated to these schools under the scheme as well as special extra funding. Over 20 per cent of the total national allocation went to schools on the north side of Cork city.
The Minister recently met representatives of the schools to which the Deputies refer and she is in no doubt as to the great disappointment and concern felt by the authorities of these schools and the parents of the pupils at their failure to secure admission to the scheme. However, in considering this outcome, it is most important to understand the background to the initiative and the basis upon which the selection process was conducted. In order to address the concern raised by Deputy Wallace the Minister will outline the procedures for making these decisions.
In 1995, the Combat Poverty Agency was commissioned by the Minister for Education to conduct a detailed review of our current approach to addressing the problem of educational disadvantage. The decision to commission this study arose from a concern to ensure that our supports were properly targeted and that children with real need were in a position to benefit from the scheme. The criteria used in selecting schools for special support and the nature of the supports provided were among the issues addressed in the study.
The report presented by the Combat Poverty Agency was one of the most comprehensive studies of educational disadvantage ever undertaken in the State. It examined the concept of educational disadvantage as it impacted on pupils in the education system. It reviewed the procedures in place to identify and address educational disadvantage. The report also evaluated the effectiveness of current approaches, using a wide range of national and international research data. While the report recognised the very considerable advances which have been made in alleviating the effects of educational disadvantage, it also made a series of comments and recommendations aimed at improving former arrangements.
Among the key issues raised in the report was a concern that under the current criteria, the scheme did not have due regard to rural and dispersed disadvantage. It was recommended that the selection criteria be amended to better reflect educational disadvantage as mainfested in rural as well as urban settings.
It also recommended that a more targeted approach be adopted, with resources being directed towards the most disadvantaged urban and rural areas. The report also considered that disadvantaged area supports should be confined to 16 per cent of the school-going population. In this connection, it was noted that the disadvantaged areas scheme already extends to more than 17 per cent of pupils. The Deputy may be aware that both of the schools in question are already included in the disadvantaged areas scheme and, as such, are in receipt of additional ex-quota teaching posts and special supplementary funding allocations.
Following the Combat Poverty study, the Minister for Education commissioned the Education Research Centre to carry out a further study aimed at developing precise criteria to be applied in the selection of schools for special disadvantaged supports.
The outcome of these studies formed the basis for the "Breaking the Cycle" initiative recently launched by the Minister for Education. Under this initiative, a new targeted programme of supports is being made available to 25 selected schools in large urban areas, five in the north side of Cork city. In addition, 25 clusters of small schools, particularly those in rural areas which have high levels of disadvantage, are being selected to receive a targeted programme of supports.
In the case of the urban element of the initiative, the Education Research Centre invited a total of 221 eligible schools to apply for inclusion in the scheme. A total of 191 of these schools submitted applications.
In each case, applicants were required to complete a detailed questionnaire devised by the Education Research Centre, aimed at identifying the relative levels of disadvantage between applicant schools. In particular, every school was requested to provide data relating to the pupils in its in-take class under the following headings: 1. number of pupils from a family in which the main breadwinner has been unemployed for a year or more; 2. number of pupils whose family holds a medical card; 3. number of pupils living in a rented local authority house or flat; 4. number of pupils living in a lone-parent household; 5, number of pupils whose mother did not take at least the Group or Intermediate Certificate Examination, and 6, number of pupils whose father did not take at least the Group or Intermediate Certificate examination.
The above criteria had been devised by the Education Research Centre following consultation with the Combat Poverty Agency and after detailed consideration of a wide range of possible indicators.
All applicants submitted data under the above headings and under a standard application form devised by the Education Research Centre. The centre reviewed the data and established a list of schools in descending order of need as reflected by the data submitted.
The top 25 schools were selected by the Education Research Centre for inclusion in the scheme. A further eight "associated" schools were also included for a special package of supports because their enrolments involved a high proportion of children from the same families as those attending one of the 25 most disadvantaged schools.
Regrettably neither of the schools mentioned by the Deputy was selected by the Education Research Centre as among the top 25 scoring schools.
It is understandable that individual schools will be disappointed at their failure to secure inclusion in this very important initiative. However, the Minister is satisfied that the approach adopted by her in allowing decisions on this matter to be taken by the Education Research Centre was the correct one. While there were allegations of political interference, I should say there was none, a totally independent procedure was adopted by the centre.
They were not made here.
Deputy Quill is quite right, they were not made here but outside this House. Clearly that decision was the correct one, particularly having regard to the complexity of the issues involved and the recognised expertise of the Education Research Centre in this area. I visited both schools and brought their concerns to the attention of the Education Research Centre, requesting it to re-examine the data submitted by both.
I want to place on the record that I also did not refer to any political interference.
I know the Deputy did not.