Vol. 501 No. 3
367 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the average value under each of the criteria for deciding designation as disad vantaged in respect of the most recent 20 schools granted disadvantaged status, that is the percentage with medical cards, lone parents and so on. [6036/99]
I understand that the Deputy is referring to the last general expansion of the disadvantaged areas scheme both at primary level and second level. This expansion took place in 1994 when an additional 54 schools were included in the scheme at primary level and 55 schools at second level.
On that occasion applicant schools were assessed as to priority of need by reference to a range of criteria which had been agreed between the Department, schools' management and the teacher unions. At primary level, the criteria in question took account of such factors as the levels of unemployment, local authority housing and rented accommodation occupancy and medical card holding among the families of the pupils concerned. The total points scored by schools under the above headings were then weighted by a factor which took account of the prevailing pupil teacher ratios among the applicant schools. At second level, account was also taken of rural disadvantage, lone parent households, literacy-numeracy difficulties and lack of formal educational qualifications.
At primary level the average percentage of pupils, in the lowest scoring 20 schools of the 54 that were added to the scheme in 1994, whose parents were included in the relevant categories, was as follows: level of unemployment – 52 per cent; local authority housing – 45 per cent; rented accommodation occupancy – 7 per cent and medical card holding – 55 per cent.
At second level the relevant percentages were as follows: level of unemployment – 67 per cent; local housing – 59 per cent; medical card holding – 70 per cent; rural disadvantage – 41 per cent; lone parent households – 17 per cent; literacy-numeracy – 50 per cent and formal education qualifications – 12 per cent.
