Skip to main content
Normal View

Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 Oct 1997

Vol. 481 No. 1

Written Answers. - WESF Report.

Richard Bruton

Question:

245 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the current progress in relation to each of the recommendations of the NESF early school leavers report; and the targets, if any, which have been set for the end of the school year 1997-98. [15371/97]

: There has been ongoing progress with regard to the areas of action identified in the NESF's report on early school leaving.

Among the key areas focused on by NESF were the need for early educational intervention and the support of children from disadvantaged areas. In this connection I recently announced my intention of setting up a National Forum of Early Childhood Education. This consultative process will allow all interested bodies in this field to put forward proposals aimed at co-ordinating and resourcing services so as to ensure equal access and opportunity for all children of pre-school age. The output from the forum will inform my policy decisions in relation to the development of the Early Start Pre-school Pilot Project.

The breaking the cycle pilot scheme represents an important component in the ovarall effort to combat educational disadvantage. The effectiveness of this scheme as a mechanism for combatting disadvantage is being evaluated by the Educational Research Centre on an ongoing basis. An interim report is expected from the Educational Research Centre by December 1997. The findings of this report will make a valuable contribution to the further development of responses in this area.

With regard to education services for traveller children, an additional five teacher posts have been allocated to the visiting teacher service for travellers for the current school year. In addition, an internal departmental committee has been established to co-ordinate the delivery of education services to travellers.

The NESF report sets out clearly the link between poor education performance and youth unemployment. With a view to retaining pupils in the education system, and thereby improving education performance, it is necessary to cater for a varying range of aptitudes and abilities. To this end, the restructuring of the curriculum at second level is continuing. Included in the restructuring are the revision of syllabuses and the expansion of innovative programmes such as the junior certificate elementary programme, the leaving certificate applied and the leaving certificate vocational programme. A review of the primary curriculum has been under way for some time and is nearing completion.

In response to the NESF report, and as part of the mid-term review of the Structural Funds, new initiatives have been agreed for implementation in 1998 and 1999 as follows:

(a) £19.733 million will be provided for a minimum of 1,000 additional places for early school leavers in the Youthreach and traveller training programmes. Arrangements are under way to establish 750 Youthreach places and 250 traveller places with a view to having them operational at the beginning of 1998.
(b) Some £0.987 million will be provided for the strengthening of counselling, guidance and psychological services for participants on these programmes. A task force is being established to define and quantify needs in this area in collaboration with the National Centre for Guidance in Education and in FÁS, with a view to implementation in early 1998.
(c) Some £1.97 million will be provided for bridging and progression options for early school leavers through the FÁS training system, and 725 places within the FÁS system will be re-deployed to progression options for Youthreach and Traveller trainees.
(d) Some £2.96 million will be provided over 1998 and 1999 for a new initiative focused on structured pilot projects in urban and rural disadvantaged areas which test models for the development of an integrated area based co-ordination of services to cater for young people aged 8-15 at risk of early school leaving. A working group has been established to progress the initiative, with a view to implementation at the beginning of 1998.
In the area of in-service education, substantial support services and a large number of inservice courses are currently being provided for teachers/tutors engaged in programmes and measures concerned in the NESF report.
The NESF report placed particular emphasis on the area of second-chance education. In this connection, funding for adult education programmes and, in particular, literacy programmes is being increased. Furthermore, a Green Paper is being prepared which will give impetus to the process of rationalisation of adult education provision and the formulation of national policy for the future.
Other recommendations of the NESF report are being kept under review and will continue to be pursued in the context of the Estimates provision of the Department.
Top
Share