Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Mar 1999

Vol. 502 No. 3

Written Answers. - Educational Disadvantage.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

45 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details of the way in which the £3 million fund to tackle disadvantage at third level and the £1.5 million to deal with the problem of non-completion of third level courses, announced in the last budget, will be spent; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7785/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The allocations referred to by the Deputy form part of the £6.9 million two year funding initiative to tackle educational disadvantage in the third level sector, which I recently announced. A sum of £3 million is specifically allocated to promote access to third level amongst students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including people with disabilities. A further £1.5 million is being provided to address the issue of non-completion of courses in institutes of technology. The remaining £2.4 million will fund an extension to the maintenance grants scheme so that all independent mature students will now qualify for the higher, non-adjacent, rate of grant.

The initiatives will be effective from the next academic year and my Department is currently examining options and consulting with the relevant bodies to identify how the allocations can be best utilised. Once this examination is complete, I will consider the matter and announce the detailed arrangements for the disbursement of these funds.

The promotion of access must deal with tackling disincentives of tradition and support. Colleges must reach out into the community and additional support should be available where it is needed. The additional £3 million fund will complement the existing funding in this area, which between direct funding from my Department, and funding through the HEA, amounts to some £900,000 in the current academic year. This funding supports initiatives involving links between the colleges and local second level schools to provide supervised study facilities, extra tuition for pupils, information and advice for parents and pupils, including seminars, mentoring and support teaching in key subject areas. These programmes either assist students to meet the points requirement for courses for entry through the standard CAO procedure or involve special entry arrangements through which more flexible entry criteria are applied.

On the question of non-completion, it is suggested that the problem is particularly experienced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds. While information is not readily available from all the institutes of technology and universities on the numbers of students who fail to complete third level courses, the Educational Research Centre, St. Patrick's College, Drumcondra has been commissioned by both the Higher Education Authority and the Council of Directors of the Institutes of Technology to undertake detailed study in this area. The Council of Directors of the Institutes of Technology has established a National Committee on Retention with representatives from each institute to focus on "maximising success rates" for institutes' students. The committee is currently assembling a profile of current good practice in retention across the sector. This profile will be made available to all institutes of technology. Institutes of technology have introduced a range of initiatives and support services seeking to improve completion rates. These include induction/orientation programmes, course information services, tutor services and systems designed for the early identification of "at risk" first year students. The £1.5 million funding will support and complement these programmes and will have regard to the recommendations being prepared by the committee in relation to the funding of action projects-programmes both short and long-term based on best practice.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

47 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans, if any, he has to keep in place after 1999 the education co-ordinators working with the partnership companies; and if he intends to find Exchequer money to continue to support the valuable programmes put in place regardless of the outcome of Structural Fund negotiations. [8165/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

I am committed to the promotion of an integrated area-based approach to addressing educational disadvantage, and to the enhancement of links between education providers and community, youth, welfare, employer and training interests. My Department will continue to work closely with local development interests in the future to achieve the objective of integrated area planning and a strengthening of home, school and community links. My Department at present funds the cost of 25 whole-time equivalent posts to enable an education co-ordinator to be employed in each of the area based partnerships, and the cost of their employment is not aided by the European Structural Funds. These co-ordinators, who are generally teachers on secondment from schools, are playing a vital role in forging an integrated response to educational disadvantage. While I am anxious that such services will be continued into the future, it would not be feasible to deal with the continuation of such posts in isolation from future developments for the partnerships generally nor do I believe anyone involved would believe it to be desirable.

The area based partnerships are funded at present as part of the EU aided Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development 1994-99 co-ordinated by the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation. The continued operation of the partnerships after the current round of EU Structural Funds and their scope and function will be influenced by emerging developments generally regarding both the negotiations for the new round of EU funding and a greater integration between the local Government and the local development systems.