James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy again for raising this important matter. The junior certificate school programme aims to provide a curriculum framework that assists schools and teachers in making the junior cycle more accessible to those young people who may leave school without formal qualifications. It attempts to help young people experience success and develop a positive self-image by providing a curriculum and assessment framework suitable to their needs.

Since its introduction in 1996, the JCSP expanded from 32 schools to the current 221. As part of the implementation of the Framework for Junior Cycle 2015, it was agreed to carry out a review of the JCSP and consider to what extent the needs of the students who are taking the JCSP are met through the junior cycle. As I stated, the Covid-19 pandemic impacted this, but that matter is now recommencing. The Department of Education provides a wide range of supports to all schools, DEIS and non-DEIS, to support the inclusion of all students and address barriers to students achieving their potential.

Supplementing the universal supports available to all schools in delivering the equality of opportunity in schools DEIS programme is a key policy initiative of the Department to address concentrated educational disadvantage at school level in a targeted and equitable way across the primary and post-primary sectors. In March 2022, the Minister, Deputy Foley, announced the single largest expansion of the DEIS programme. This benefited 38 post-primary schools and the programme now includes in the region of 1,200 schools and supports approximately 260,000 students. One in four students and 30% of schools are now supported in the programme. This expansion added an additional €32 million to the Department of Education's expenditure on the DEIS programme for 2023, bringing the overall Department allocation for the programme to more than €180 million.

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