Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 May 2024
78. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Education for an update in relation to the OECD review of the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools Programme; the engagements she or her Department have had with the OECD in relation to this; when the report will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23078/24]
View answerMy Department provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential.
Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools, the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative of my Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level in a targeted and equitable way across the primary and post-primary sector.
In March 2022, I announced the single largest expansion of the DEIS programme. This benefited 361 schools. The programme now includes in the region of 1,200 schools and supports approximately 260,000 students. 1 in 4 students and 30% of schools are now supported in the programme.
This expansion added an additional €32million to my Department’s expenditure on the DEIS programme from 2023, bringing the overall Department of Education allocation for the programme to over €180million.
The extension of the DEIS programme to new schools is just one component of work in my vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. While the DEIS programme supports those schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage, I also recognise that there are students at risk of educational disadvantage in all schools. Since June 2020, , I have secured funding to provide measures to support children in this regard.
My Department is continuing to undertake work towards achieving its vision for an inclusive education system which supports all learners to achieve their potential. It also recognises that we need to target resources to those schools who need them most. That is why my Department has undertaken a programme of work to explore the allocation of resources to schools to address educational disadvantage. To support this work my Department have invited the OECD Strength Through Diversity: Education for Inclusive Societies Project to review the current policy approach for the allocation of resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage in Ireland. This review will provide an independent expert opinion on the current resource allocation model for the DEIS programme and, drawing on international examples, inform a policy approach for an equitable distribution of supplementary resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage attending all schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS. The OECD are engaging with a range of relevant stakeholders to inform the review process as well as drawing on international examples. The OECD estimates that the review will be completed in Q2 2024.
The OECD review will look at the overall Department policy with regards to resourcing schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS, to support children and young people at risk of educational disadvantage. The OECD review will be complimented by a programme of work by my Department which will consider the allocation of supports within the DEIS resource model. The DEIS Plan 2017 states that if we are to have the maximum possible impact on providing opportunities for students most at risk of educational disadvantage, then our extra resources must be targeted as closely as possible at those students with the greatest level of need.
In 2023 the OECD Strength Through Diversity team carried out engagements with a range of stakeholders such as teacher unions, management bodies and academic experts via online interviews. The OECD research team also visited Ireland and carried out a round of in person engagements. The group met with representatives from the education partners, the community and voluntary sectors and academic experts. The group also visited a selection of DEIS and non-DEIS schools during their visit. My Department worked closely with the OECD team to identify the relevant stakeholder and a selection of schools to participate in the review.
The OECD review is being complimented by a programme of work by my Department which will look at reviewing individual resources and allocation approaches. This work will involve consultation with a range of relevant stakeholders. It will also seek to ensure that schools are supported to ensure every child has an equal opportunity to achieve their potential.
In addition to this, following the National Census conducted in April 2022, an updated HP Deprivation index has now been generated by Pobal. My Department is engaging with Pobal regarding this development and this, along with other data, will be thoroughly reviewed to inform future resource allocation aimed at tackling educational disadvantage.
