Richard Bruton
Question:8 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the action, if any, taken to implement the recommendations in the report on school attendance and other difficulties in schools in Clondalkin, Dublin 22. [7642/98]
Other Questions. - School Attendance.
The general recommendations contained in the report on school absenteeism in Clondalkin are being considered as part of the preparation of legislation and initiatives to deal with the complex issues involved in school absenteeism. My objective is to bring heads of proposed legislation to Government in the autumn. I intend to be in a position to introduce the legislation before the end of the year.
As reflected in the report, the issue of non-school attendance demands a comprehensive solution involving a combination of legislative and other measures. A range of special measures is already in place in the education area. In Clondalkin, ten primary schools have disadvantaged status and are in the home school community liaison scheme, two schools are included in the Early Start pre-school pilot project and five Clondalkin schools are included in the teaching counsellor scheme. This latter scheme is targeted exclusively on the Clondalkin and north inner city areas of Dublin.
In addition, I recently launched an initiative targeted specifically at early school leavers and children at risk of dropping out in the eight to 15 age group. This initiative will be of particular interest and relevance to areas such as Clondalkin. It is likely that groups in Clondalkin will be entitled to apply for inclusion in this initiative. I also established the National Forum on Early Childhood Education which is currently under way. The forum will consider how services in this area can be developed for the future.
I am satisfied that the measures I outlined, coupled with the new legislative provisions which I will bring forward, will make a valuable contribution towards addressing the concerns highlighted in the Clondalkin report.
I am disappointed all the Minister can say is that the recommendations are being considered as part of a process. Regarding the position on 26 November when this matter was last discussed, why has the schedule for introducing the legislation slipped back by six months? The Minister indicated at that time that the Bill relating to school attendance would be published early in 1998.
Does the Minister agree there is a need for a specialist non-school unit in Clondalkin to offer support to children with serious attendance problems? The survey showed that 25 per cent of children in the area were either chronic or regular non-attenders. Does the Minister agree there is a need to resource a unit of the type recommended to address the specific problem in Clondalkin highlighted in the report rather than dealing with it as part of a long-term planning process in the Department?
Nothing has been referred to a long-term planning process. All 38 area partnerships are preparing plans and programmes similar to the study undertaken in Clondalkin. An initiative relating to the eight to 15 year old group has been launched. This matches some of the recommendations in the Clondalkin report, such as what it described as a pre-youthreach centre for children under 15 years. The Department is not inclined to take the route of pre-youthreach centres but wants to develop a project that is school based and has formal and informal dimensions. It is open to the area partnership and community in Clondalkin to apply for inclusion in the scheme for eight to 15 year olds. This is a practical and concrete initiative on the ground.
Staffing can be considered only in the context of the schedule for the 1998-9 school year. As I stated previously, my desired approach is a variety of inputs, including psychological, remedial and home school liaison services, to schools in disadvantaged areas.
Regarding school attendance legislation, it has been necessary to engage in a fundamental review of the previous Government's plans. It produced the heads of a Bill on school attendance which relied heavily on regional education boards. The previous Government's policy included the introduction of such boards which would appoint school attendance officers. However, if that had been the case, we would have waited indefinitely for a school attendance service because no detailed planning had been carried out in the Department on the establishment of regional education boards. A commitment was made in terms of the preparation of legislation but nothing had been done regarding the logistical mechanisms of regional boards. It would be many years before a school attendance service was provided if I took the route favoured by the previous Government.
The Department is now considering school attendance differently. We consider that school attendance involves the prevention of absenteeism and a range of other strategies to ensure that children stay at school, are enthusiastic about it and have relevant curriculum programmes to follow. This will ensure the current level of school attendance difficulties is reduced.
All the issues relating to school attendance existed when the Minister said last November that the legislation would be introduced early in 1998. Why has the Minister lost six months on his schedule regarding the Bill?
I accept there is a need for legislation but will the Minister make provision, particularly from September on, to ensure concrete proposals are put in place to deal with this problem and we are not waiting for a Bill which may take until 1999 to be implemented? Action is required specifically in relation to the Early Start and Breaking the Cycle initiatives in schools which are excluded in the Clondalkin district and other deprived areas such as Tallaght, Darndale and elsewhere. Will the Minister make provision and start to put concrete measures, in addition to legislation, in place by September?
We are not awaiting the publication of legislation. I have stated repeatedly that legislation on its own is not the answer. Resources are an important part of dealing with the issue and the Department has developed strategies. It is unfair to suggest that we are awaiting legislation. The initiative for eight to 15 year olds, which has already been launched, is most important. We are looking comprehensively at developing a national strategy on disadvantage. This is important because over 550 schools have been designated as disadvantaged. Under the previous Administration, apart from what was available to those schools in terms of additional capitation grants, there was no coherent national strategy to deal with educational disadvantage, particularly in socio-economically disadvantaged areas. I will not wait for legislation to implement measures to improve the position. Work is ongoing to improve it at various levels throughout the system.
In the context of the school attendance legislation, how many school attendance officers does the Minister envisage will be provided? Does he envisage spreading them beyond the areas in which the Act operates at present? The Minister mentioned intervention in the context of keeping children at school. I welcome that positive approach. Does the Minister envisage that the position of school attendance officers will be strengthened by statute and they will become involved at other levels, for example, interfacing with other agencies and Departments?
Yes. At present there are school attendance committees and officers in Dublin, Cork and Waterford cities and Dun Laoghaire. Elsewhere, the Garda Síochána perform school attendance duties, which is unacceptable in the modern age. I pay tribute to the school attendance officers and committees who have done a fine job. We have much to learn from their experience and expertise. They will add to and inform developments. However, we will not follow the conventional model which has developed since the foundation of the State. The ultimate objective of the legislation is to put in place a school attendance service and structure that applies nationwide.