Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Apr 2000

Vol. 517 No. 3

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Status.

Brendan Howlin

Question:

300 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the urgent need for additional resources to tackle disadvantage at a school (details supplied) in County Wexford; if this school will be included in the Stay at School Retention Initiative from September 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9743/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods)

At present, of the total of 752 schools at second level, 211 schools have disadvantaged status.

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

I can assure the Deputy that the position of the school in question will receive full consideration in the context of any future review of the disadvantaged scheme.

With regard to the stay in school retention initiative at second level the position is that the Initiative will provide funding to targeted schools on the basis of plans which they will be helped to design themselves. The intention is to empower the schools themselves to tackle early school leaving. At the core of the initiative are multi-annual retention plans drawn up by the individual schools and agreed with the Department. These are to provide for a range of specific measures directed at the particular needs of individual schools, together with clear targets in terms of increased retention up to the end of the senior cycle.

Fifty eight schools are participating in the first phase of the initiative and it is intended to invite further schools to participate in the second phase during 2000.

The school in question will receive full consideration when schools are being invited to participate in the second phase of the initiative.