Paul Kehoe
Question:267. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education the grant funding available for afterschool clubs or activities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4002/22]
View answerThursday, 27 January 2022
Questions (267)
Written answers
Development of guidelines for all schools to support extra-curricular activities in schools is currently underway in my Department. These guidelines will facilitate schools in the provision, on a voluntary basis, of extra-curricular activities after school hours.
With regard to funding provision my Department provides a number of policies and programmes which are supportive of afterschool clubs or activities for students at risk of educational disadvantage.
DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of the Department of Education to address educational disadvantage at school level. In the 2021/22 academic year there are 884 schools (687 Primary and 197 Post Primary) in the DEIS Programme serving over 180,000 pupils. My Department spent over €150 million on the DEIS Programme in 2021, which included over €26 million for the School Completion Programme.
Budget 2022 has allocated the largest-ever increase in funding for the DEIS programme, providing for an additional allocation of €18 million in 2022 and rising to an additional €32 million in 2023. This means that by 2023 my Department will target over €180 million at addressing educational disadvantage through the DEIS programme, an increase of 20%.
All DEIS schools receive a DEIS grant which is to be used to support the implementation of the schools’ DEIS Action Plan for Improvement. This Plan sets targets under key themes, such as attendance, retention, progression, literacy and numeracy, partnership, transition, wellbeing and examination attainment (post-primary only). A key focus of these themes is that they are targeted at those students most at risk of educational disadvantage. It is a matter for the school Board of Management to allocate DEIS grant funding so that it targets those students deemed most in need; this can include afterschool activities.
The School Completion Programme (SCP) is a key support under my Department’s DEIS programme. SCP supports students in relation to school attendance, participation and retention. These interventions and supports may include afterschool clubs, which are allowable under the SCP funding. In March 2021 I announced a 5% increase in funding for the School Completion Programme to support the attendance and participation of vulnerable learners and those at risk of education disadvantage.