Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 29 Jun 1999

Vol. 507 No. 2

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Status.

Ivan Yates

Question:

294 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science if Christian Brothers' national school, New Ross, County Wexford, will be approved in its application for designation for disadvantaged status; if the provision of extra home and school liaison and resource teachers will be approved; and, if so, when approval will be granted. [16642/99]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin)

The last general expansion of the disad vantaged areas scheme at primary level took place in 1994. The school referred to by the Deputy applied for inclusion on that occasion but did not rank sufficiently high in terms of priority of need to secure inclusion at that time.

A study of educational disadvantage conducted by the Combat Poverty Agency and the Education Research Centre in 1996 concluded that disadvantaged status should be confined to 16 per cent of the school-going population. The study noted that such status had already been granted to 17 per cent of pupils. As an alternative to extending the disadvantaged areas scheme to additional schools, the study recommended that available resources should be targeted on the most disadvantaged schools.

The breaking the cycle pilot project was subsequently introduced to deliver the sort of targeted support recommended in the study. The operation of this project is being closely monitored by my Department's inspectorate and the project is being evaluated by the Education Research Centre.

My immediate priority at present is to extend the home-school-community liaison service to all first and second level schools which have been designated as disadvantaged and which currently do not have access to the liaison service. Arrangements to put this extension of service in place from September next are currently being made in my Department. As the school in question does not have disadvantaged status, it will not be included in this extension.

I can assure the Deputy that the needs of the school to which he refers will be fully considered in the event of any additional initiatives being taken to address educational disadvantage.

My Department has no record of an application for a resource teacher post from the school in question. The school authorities may apply for such support through their school inspector as recently notified in circular 8/99.