Question:
46 Mr. Hayes asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will extend the early school leaving initiative for 8 to 15 year olds after 30 June 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8765/00]
Written Answers. - Early School Leavers.
In 1997, following the mid-term review of the operational programme 1994 to 1999, money was re-allocated for the support of a number of actions. Included in these was the allocation of £2.96 million over a two-year period to test models of support for young people between the ages of eight and 15 years who were at risk of educational disadvantage and early school leaving or were already outside the formal schools system. It was agreed that the programme would run during the two school years 1998-1999 and 1999-2000 and funding would end on 30 June 2000.
Applications for support were invited from schools that were designated by my Department as serving areas of disadvantage and from the area-based partnerships in the operational programme. A core issue and a significant development in my Department's strategy for addressing educational disadvantage was included in this new early school leaver initiative for eight to 15 year olds. Consortia of agencies had to be formed at local level for the integrated delivery of a range of their services to the individual young people who are most at risk of educational disadvantage and early school leaving. Funding was provided for 17 projects in 14 project areas and a projects' co-ordinator was appointed at national level to support the development of models of good practice that could be replicate in other areas of need. The projects are being evaluated by the children's research centre in Trinity College.
I have now decided that a new phase of the early school leaver initiative for eight to 15 year olds will run from 1 July 2000 until 31 August 2002. Information meetings for representative personnel from the local project areas were held last week in Dublin, Cork and Limerick. Funding for actions in the new period will be on the basis of a formal submission from each project area. Each submission will include an audit of existing resources and an account of current actions in the project areas in support of targeted young people at risk of educational disadvantage. They will propose a new costed programme of integrated multi-agency supports for targeted young people and their families which will include in-school and out-of-school activities. Submissions must reach my Department by 19 May.