Joe Walsh
Ceist:132 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Education the reason she did not grant disadvantaged status to a school (details supplied) in west Cork together with the other four national schools in the district. [22979/96]
Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Status.
I assume the Deputy is referring to the "Breaking the Cycle" initiative which seeks to target a programme of special supports on selected urban and rural schools which have been identified as being particularly disadvantaged.
This initiative is based on the outcome of detailed studies of educational disadvantage undertaken by the Combat Poverty Agency and the Education Research Centre. Among the findings of these studies was a recommendation that a more targeted approach be adopted, with resources being directed towards the most disadvantaged urban and rural areas. The studies also concluded 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 areas scheme already extends to more than 17 per cent of pupils.
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 of educational disadvantage. Unfortunately, the school in question did not rank high enough on the priority list to be included in the initiative.