I recognise the importance of early intervention as a means of preventing future educational disadvantage. As well as supporting a number of early intervention programmes at pre-school level, I have provided more than €70 million in 2003 for disadvantaged programmes at primary level, aimed at ensuring that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are given the opportunity to maximise their potential within the education system.
Key programmes include the Giving Children an Even Break programme and the home school community liaison scheme. Other measures directed towards the support of primary school pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds include the book grant scheme and the school meals programme. The school completion programme and the National Educational Welfare Board, both of which operate at primary and post primary levels, also play a crucial role in this regard. In all this work I am advised by the statutory Educational Disadvantage Committee set up under the Education Act 1998 to advise on the policies and strategies to be adopted to identify and address educational disadvantage.
The provision of up to date curricula that are relevant to the learning needs of students makes an important contribution to the quality of the educational experience. A revised primary school curriculum and accompanying teacher guidelines were published by my Department in September 1999. The implementation of this curriculum is being supported by a comprehensive programme of in-career development for teachers, delivered by the primary curriculum support programme. This curriculum is designed in order that teachers can provide an educational programme tailored to the needs of all pupils.
My Department conducts regular national surveys of literacy and numeracy standards in primary schools. A national literacy survey of pupils in first and fifth classes in primary schools will be held in May 2004.