Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 2 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 2

Written Answers - Disadvantaged Status.

Denis Naughten

Question:

55 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the plans he has to designate further schools as disadvantaged; the current criteria for receiving disadvantage status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11688/01]

Minister for Education and Science (Dr. Woods):

Under the disadvantaged areas scheme, primary schools were selected on the basis of priority of need as reflected by reference to a range of socio-economic criteria. For example, unemployment levels, medical card holding and local authority housing occupancy among the families of pupils.

It has been found that the disadvantaged areas scheme at primary level is inflexible and does not take account of different levels of need. The scheme has generally focused on schools in larger urban areas while neglecting smaller but serious pockets of disadvantage in schools in medium sized towns around the country.

A further comprehensive survey of all primary schools was carried out by the Educational Research Centre in 2000 at the request of my Department. The purpose of the survey was to identify the level of concentration in each primary school of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage and early school leaving. Accepted socio-economic variables were used to compute an index of educational disadvantage for each school surveyed. These variables included unemployment, medical card possession and residence in local authority housing which have been found in the past to be valid indicators of educational disadvantage at school level. Separate indices were used for rural and urban schools to reflect the findings of previous research that showed that educational disadvantage manifests itself differently in urban and rural locations.

The survey provides a valuable basis for directing resources to the areas of greatest need. The survey outcome forms the basis of the new programme entitled Giving Children an Even Break, a major initiative which I launched in January to tackle educational disadvantage at primary level over a three year period. Under this programme it is now proposed to refine our approach to ensure that the individual pupils at risk are targeted. The programme subsumes the previous process of designation of schools that serve areas of educational disadvantage.

All of the schools identified as having enrolled pupils with characteristics of disadvantage have been invited to participate in the new programme. More than 2,300 primary schools will benefit under this programme, based on the levels of concentration of disadvantaged pupils in the schools as identified through the ERC survey. This involves an overall cost of £26 million including the allocation of over 200 additional teaching.

Rather than the old method of designating additional schools, the Department now provides support that is commensurate with the levels of concentration in schools of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage and early school leaving.

All of the schools participating in the new programme are being allocated additional resources to be used to provide targeted in-school and after school services for specific children at risk. Schools that were previously designated as disadvantaged will retain the resources that had been allocated to them and may also qualify for additional resources under the new programme based on the level of concentration of pupils at risk.

The new programme will be subject to independent evaluation to ensure that it is meeting its objectives and to assist in its future development and the introduction of further interventions in this area.