Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 May 2021
170. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Education the progress to date in completing the new DEIS identification model and in providing further support to schools already identified as DEIS at primary level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24888/21]
View answerDEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department of Education to address educational disadvantage at school level.
In the 2020/21 academic year there are 887 schools in the DEIS Programme serving over 185,000 pupils - 689 Primary and 198 Post Primary.
My Department’s spend on DEIS in 2021 is over €150million, which includes over €26 million for the School Completion Programme (SCP). The desired impact of the SCP is the retention of a young person to Leaving Certificate, equivalent qualification or suitable level of educational attainment which enables them to transition into further education, training or employment.
My Department’s investment in 2021 includes providing for;
- 419 Home School Community Liaison Coordinators serving 539 schools, catering for approximately 156,000 pupils.
- Additional posts for DEIS Band 1 primary schools to allow for a reduced pupil teacher ratio.
- Curriculum supports
- Priority access to continuing professional development
- School Excellence Fund - DEIS
- DEIS grants and enhanced book grants.
As part of the Budget 2021 I announced a package of measures to support primary schools with the highest levels of concentrated disadvantage. This announcement includes a one point reduction in class size from 22:1 to 21:1 in Urban Band 1 vertical schools and 20:1 to 19:1 in Urban Band 1 junior schools. This is in addition to previously announced one-point reduction for Senior Urban Band 1 schools from 24:1 to 23:1.
I also decided to allocate an increase in the budget of the School Completion Programme and approve the extension of the programme to 28 schools included in DEIS in 2017.
This week I announced the provision of expanded summer education programmes, for pupils with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage, as a Covid-19 pandemic response measure, for summer 2021.
The programmes are available to all primary and post primary free education schools, including all DEIS Schools, and aims to support pupils to re-engage with education, to build their confidence and increase their motivation, promote well-being and for some who are at key transition stages, help to ensure they can move on to their planned educational placement next September along with their peers.
Under this expansion of the summer programme, students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage will have access to an enhanced summer programme of education. The total funding available to provide the programme is up to €40 million, a one hundred per cent increase on the allocation for summer provision in 2020.
