Vol. 497 No. 6
224 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Education and Science the support and backup, if any, available to primary and secondary schools from his Department; the procedures necessary to avail of this support and backup; the additional support to special status schools, for example disadvantaged schools; the procedures or criteria necessary to avail of special status; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25739/98]
The following schemes provide a range of measures designed to provide additional support to schools designated as disadvantaged: the disadvantaged areas scheme, Breaking the Cycle pilot project, home school community liaison scheme, Early Start pilot project, and the teacher counsellor scheme.
The aims of these schemes are to address the effects of socio-economic deprivation on the pupils in the schools concerned through the provision of additional staffing and financial resources.
Schools seeking disadvantaged status are assessed and prioritised as to need on the basis of socio-economic and educational indicators such as unemployment levels, housing, medical card holders and information on basic literacy and numeracy.
