Tony Gregory
Ceist:254 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education the schools excluded from the Breaking the Cycle scheme whose level of disadvantage is greater than a school included in the scheme. [21616/96]
Written Answers. - Breaking the Cycle Scheme.
Tony Gregory
Ceist:255 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education if her Department or the educational research unit operated an independent system for validating the data on disadvantage supplied by applicant schools to the Breaking the Cycle scheme; and if so, if she will give details of the system operated. [21617/96]
Tony Gregory
Ceist:256 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education her views on whether it is essential that the data collection method in the Breaking the Cycle scheme should have in-built verification and validation systems in view of the fact that the data supplied is the critical criterion for including or excluding schools. [21618/96]
Tony Gregory
Ceist:257 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education the schools located in areas of extremely high educational disadvantage, as indicated by the local GAMMA reports in the Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development, 1994 to 1999, which are not included in the Breaking the Cycle scheme; and the reason for such exclusions. [21619/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 254, 255, 256 and 257 together.
I am not aware that the procedures applied in selecting schools for inclusion in the Breaking the Cycle initiative resulted in the exclusion of schools in the circumstances described by the Deputy.
As previously indicated to the Deputy, the criteria under which schools were selected for inclusion in this initiative and the selection process itself, were devised and carried out by the education research centre following detailed consideration of a range of indicators.
All applicant schools submitted data under a variety of headings and on a standard application form devised by the education research centre. The centre reviewed the data submitted and selected schools on the basis of priority of need as reflected by the data.
As part of the selection process, the education research centre also had access to Departmental records to assist in determining the eligibility of schools.
While I would have every confidence in the integrity of the data submitted by individual schools in support of their applications, I would point out that all applicants were requested to retain the data on which their applications were based to facilitate verification of data should this prove necessary. Should it transpire, on foot of any such examination, that a school had provided erroneous information, the position of the school within the scheme would have to be reviewed.
While it is understood that a very high correlation exists between the schools included in the Breaking the Cycle initiative and those located in areas identified in the GAMMA study, I am not in a position to provide details in relation to individual schools. I should also point out that, unlike the exercise conducted by the education research centre which was specifically focused on educational disadvantage, the GAMMA report was a broadly based study drawn on the 1991 census to identify areas of high disadvantage. It was not specifically focused on the issue of educational disadvantage.