Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 May 2014
76. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills his efforts to increase links between post-primary DEIS schools and third level institutions since coming to office; the number of DEIS schools currently with no links. [20756/14]
View answerThe DEIS Action Plan (2005) provides that increased access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds will be promoted, in co-operation with the National Office for Equity of Access to Higher Education. Reports of progress by higher education institutions to the Higher Education Authority, indicate that the majority of post-primary, DEIS schools are linked with the access programme of at least one third level institution in their area. Some of the longer established access programmes have links with at least thirty second level schools (both DEIS and non-DEIS) in their respective regions, as well as with a number of feeder primary schools. Since 2009 the seven universities and nine other third level colleges have collaborated on the development of a Higher Education Access Route (HEAR) scheme as part of the annual CAO process. The objective of this scheme is to target the allocation of reserved places in higher education and other supports for school-leavers from disadvantaged backgrounds. One of the criteria for the award of a place through this scheme is whether a student has attended a DEIS school.
As part of the national strategy for higher education and the ongoing process of reform in the wider education landscape, it is planned that closer collaboration between higher education institutions and other education partners – both nationally and at regional level - will further strengthen opportunities for young people attending DEIS schools to access higher education.
