Vol. 565 No. 2
287 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason the co-ordinators in Giving Children An Even Break have not had in-career development for two years; the position regarding the future of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10576/03]
The 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-April 2000 by the Educational Research Centre, 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 in the past 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 of the schools identified as having enrolled pupils with characteristics of disadvantage were invited to participate in Giving Children An Even Break.
The programme 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 now provides support that is commensurate with the levels of concentration in schools of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage and early school leaving.
Over 2,300 participating schools 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.
Rural schools, with the highest concentration of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage, have been allocated the services of a teacher/co-ordinator who will work in clusters of four or five schools. The schools are also benefiting from the allocation of supplementary grant aid towards providing additional educational supports for the children concerned. My Department is giving consideration to appropriate in-career development to support the work of the co-ordinators.
At the launch of the programme it was indicated that it would operate for three years and be subject to external evaluation. Its future will be determined in the light of the outcome of the evaluation and in the context of a broader review of the range of initiatives to address educational disadvantage.
288 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Education and Science the name of the national co-ordinator for the Breaking the Cycle Programme. [10577/03]
The Breaking the Cycle pilot project was launched in 1996 and the aim of the project was to discriminate positively in favour of schools in selected urban and rural areas which have high concentrations of children who are at risk of not reaching their potential in the education system because of their socio-economic backgrounds. The five-year pilot phase of this scheme ended on 30 June 2001.
All schools included in Breaking the Cycle are now included in the new disadvantage programme, Giving Children An Even Break and will retain their existing entitlements under the former scheme. The issue of whether this initiative requires a dedicated national co-ordinator is being considered in the context of a broader review of the range of initiatives to address educational disadvantage.
289 Mr. English asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason O'Carolan College, Nobber, County Meath, is being phased out of the SSRI, in view of the success this initiative has had in the school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10307/03]
In 2002, my Department introduced the school completion programme, SCP, which is a new and significantly expanded programme to deal with early school leaving incorporating the learning, experience and best practice derived from previous early school leaving initiatives, mainly the eight to 15 early school leaver initiative, ESLI, and stay-in-school retention initiative at second level, SSRI. The objective of the school completion programme is to provide a range of interventions in areas of disadvantage that support the retention of young people in education. It is based on an integrated approach involving primary and post-primary schools, parents, communities and relevant statutory and voluntary agencies.
