Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 20 Nov 1996

Vol. 471 No. 7

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Status.

Mildred Fox

Ceist:

274 Ms M. Fox asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that out of three schools on a 200 metre stretch of road, namely, St. Fergal's junior school, St. Fergal's senior school and St. Kilian's community school, Ballywaltrim, Bray, County Wicklow, all serving the same catchment area, only two of these schools are granted disadvantaged status; if she intends to include St. Fergal's senior school in the disadvantaged list; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21901/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I am aware of the situation to which the Deputy refers.

The disadvantaged areas scheme was last expanded in 1994 when disadvantaged status was extended to an additional 54 primary schools. On that occasion, applications for inclusion were received and considered from St. Fergal's junior and St. Fergal's senior schools.

Schools were selected for inclusion in the scheme on the basis of priority of need as reflected by a range of socio-economic indicators which had been agreed with schools' management and the INTO. Account was also taken of the views of my Department's inspectorate on the relative levels of need between applicant schools and the prevailing pupil teacher ratios. The cases put forward by both of the schools mentioned were considered on that occasion. While St. Fergal's junior school qualified for inclusion, it is unfortunately the case that St. Fergal's senior school did not qualify.

I have no plans at present to extend disadvantaged area status to additional primary schools.

The Deputy may be aware that I recently launched an important new initiative which seeks to break the cycle of educational disadvantage in selected urban and rural areas. This initiative is based on the outcome of detailed studies of educational disadvantage conducted by the Combat Poverty Agency and the Education Research Centre. Among the findings of these studies was a recommendation that disadvantaged area supports should be confined to 16 per cent of the school-going population. In this connection, it was noted that the disadvantaged area scheme already extends to more than 17 per cent of pupils.

Under the Breaking the Cycle initiative, a targeted programme of special supports is being made available to selected urban and rural schools which have been identified as being particularly disadvantaged. The criteria used in selecting schools for inclusion in this initiative and the selection process itself were devised and carried out by the Education Research Centre following detailed study of a range of possible indicators of disadvantage. Unfortunately, based on staffing and enrolments, the senior school to which the Deputy refers was not eligible for inclusion under this new initiative.