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Education Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 April 2022

Tuesday, 26 April 2022

Questions (911)

Mattie McGrath

Question:

911. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Education if she will list all schools in County Tipperary receiving the home school community liaison scheme and the school completion programme; if each school is within the rural or urban DEIS programme; the criteria required to obtain the full supports available within the urban DEIS programme; the criteria required to obtain the supports of the home school community liaison scheme and the school completion programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20421/22]

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Written answers

Access to the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Scheme and the School Completion Programme (SCP) is available to DEIS Post Primary, DEIS Urban Band 1 primary and DEIS Urban Band 2 primary schools. 

The categorisation of DEIS primary schools between urban and rural is undertaken using the CSO boundary data classification of ‘Settlements’. Urban settlements are towns with a population of 1,500 or more, while settlements with a population of less than 1,500 are classified as rural. This CSO classification also takes into account growth in population and the expansion of urban areas over time, and is considered the most appropriate method of categorising schools as between urban and rural. Schools located in urban settlements are categorised as urban.

The impact of socio-economic factors on educational outcomes can be different between urban and rural settings and the HSCL scheme and SCP takes account of that. While urban and rural disadvantage share many characteristics, such as poverty, unemployment and poor housing conditions, the evidence suggests that disadvantage in a rural context does not have the same impact on educational performance.

My Department's objective in implementing the DEIS Plan is to have the maximum possible impact on providing opportunities for students most at risk of disadvantage. To achieve this, additional resources must be targeted as closely as possible at those students with the greatest need in terms of concentrated levels of disadvantage. 

Details of all the schools currently in the DEIS programme, including their DEIS band and county are available at www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/4018ea-deis-delivering-equality-of-opportunity-in-schools/#deis-schools-2021-2022

Details of the additional schools who will be included in the DEIS programme from September 2022, including their DEIS band and county are available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/7938e-list-of-schools-into-deis/

Details of all DEIS Supports are available at www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/4018ea-deis-delivering-equality-of-opportunity-in-schools/#supports-to-deis-school

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