Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 29 Jan 2003

Vol. 560 No. 1

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Status.

Charlie O'Connor

Ceist:

403 Mr. O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Science the actions he is taking to ensure that all the primary schools in Tallaght, Dublin 24, are receiving sufficient resources, particularly in respect of disadvantaged pupils; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1458/03]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

Dealing with educational disadvantage remains a key priority of this Government and my Department has introduced a range of key interventions and programmes in primary schools aimed directly at tackling the problem of educational disadvantage. The early start pre-school pilot project is in place in 40 selected schools in designated areas of disadvantage. It is aimed at children who are considered to be most at risk of not reaching their potential and are aged between three and four years. Early start units have been established in two schools in Dublin 24 and both schools are benefiting from additional resources to cater for the pre-school children attending.

A new disadvantage programme – Giving Children An Even Break – was launched in 2001 to deal with educational disadvantage in primary schools. The schools targeted under the programme were identified through a comprehensive and objective survey of primary schools carried out in March and April 2000 by the educational research centre in Drumcondra on my Department's behalf. Over 75% of primary schools took part in the survey. Indicators such as unemployment, medical card possession and rented local authority housing have been found to be reliable indicators of levels of disadvantage in schools. The survey provides a valuable basis for directing resources to the areas of greatest need. All the schools identified as having enrolled pupils with characteristics of disadvantage have been invited to participate in Giving Children an Even Break.

Giving Children an Even Break subsumes the previous process of designation of schools that serve areas of educational disadvantage. My Department's approach is now refined to ensure that the individual at risk pupils are targeted. Rather than the old method of designating additional schools, my Department provides support that is commensurate with the levels of concentration in schools of pupils with characteristics associated with educational disadvantage and early school leaving. Schools participating in Giving Children An Even Break are eligible to receive a range of additional supports including teacher posts and financial supports to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. The additional supports to be provided reflect the level of concentration of pupils from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in each school invited to participate in the programme.

There are separate urban and rural dimensions to the programme. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that 29 schools in Dublin 24 have been included in the urban dimension of Giving Children An Even Break. All these schools are benefiting from supplementary funding to provide additional educational supports for the children concerned. Schools categorised as urban with the highest concentrations of at risk pupils are being supported, where necessary, over the three year period through staff allocations to implement a pupil teacher ratio of 20:1 in the junior classes – infants through second class – and a pupil teacher ratio of 27:1 in senior classes – third through sixth classes. Under Giving Children an Even Break, 17 schools in Dublin 24 are benefiting from reduced pupil teacher ratios.

The home school community liaison scheme, which operates in 20 primary schools in the Dublin 24 area, is a preventative strategy which promotes active co-operation between home, school and relevant community agencies in promoting the educational interests of children. It also raises the awareness among parents of their capacities to enhance their children's educational progress and to assist them in developing relevant skills. My Department's support teacher project operates in 16 primary schools in Dublin 24, in which there are significant numbers of pupils with disruptive, disturbed or withdrawn behaviours. A support teacher works in each school and they support the targeted children's learning through individual and group work. Support teachers help to address the individual needs of children with behaviours that have a negative impact on their learning and that of their peers. Support teachers make a significant contribution to the development of school policy on behavioural management and on the development of appropriate management strategies and skills. A comprehensive in-career development programme supports the project development.

In 2002, my Department introduced the school completion programme, which incorporates the learning, experience and best practice derived from the previous early school leaving initiatives, assimilating the existing eight to 15 year early school leaver initiative and the stay in school retention initiative at second level. The school completion programme is based at both primary and post-primary level and is focused on young people between the ages of four and 18 years who are educationally disadvantaged and at risk of leaving school early. It entails targeting individual young people of schoolgoing age, both in and out of school, and arranging supports to address inequalities in education access, participation and outcomes.

Sites for participation were selected on the basis of a detailed analysis of pupil retention rates at second level using the Department's post-primary pupils database. This analysis also identified the main feeder primary schools. In Dublin 24 there are seven school completion programme sites with 18 feeder primary schools receiving funding through this initiative. Such concentrated and focused deployment of funds should not only lead to more and more young people staying on and completing second level education, but making their experience of school more positive and worthwhile and so helping to alleviate the problem of educational disadvantage. I have arranged to forward to the Deputy details of the schools in Dublin 24 involved in the above programmes.