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Educational Disadvantage.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 January 2006

Wednesday, 25 January 2006

Ceisteanna (1119)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Ceist:

1227 Mr. Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the work of the Kildare Community and Education Partnership; if her Department will assist with the ongoing work of the partnership; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40217/05]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I am aware of the work undertaken by the partnership and recently received a copy of its objectives and work plan for 2005-06. These documents have been forwarded to my Department's social inclusion unit. The partnership has received support from my Department since 2004 through the secondment of a primary school teacher, on a full cost recoupment basis, to work with the partnership as a full-time education officer.

A key focus of the Government's education policy is to prioritise investment in favour of those most at risk and to optimise access, participation and outcomes at every level of the system for disadvantaged groups. Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, DEIS, the new action plan for educational inclusion, aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed.

A key element of DEIS is putting in place a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage in our primary and second level schools for the purposes of qualifying for resources, both human and financial, according to the degree of disadvantage experienced. This standardised system will replace all of the existing arrangements for targeting schools for participation in initiatives to address disadvantage. This process is being managed by the educational research centre on behalf of my Department, and is being supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through my Department's regional offices and the inspectorate.

As a result of the identification process, which involved a new survey of all mainstream primary schools conducted by the centre in May 2005 and the updating by them of existing data sources on the levels of disadvantage in second level schools, approximately 600 primary schools, comprising 300 urban or town, and 300 rural, and 150 second level schools will be included in a new school support programme. This will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions for schools and school clusters or communities with a concentrated level of educational disadvantage. The identification process is nearing completion and we anticipate being in a position to notify participating schools shortly.

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