Written answers

Tuesday, 30 March 2004

Department of Education and Science

Early School Leavers

9:00 pm

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 281: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the excellent work being done by the ALFA project in Scariff, County Clare, for 13-16 year olds that have left the formal school system; if he will fund the project under youthreach, youth encounter or some other appropriate funding system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9972/04]

Photo of Noel DempseyNoel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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My Department's commitment to tackling the problem of early school leaving is reflected in the national anti-poverty strategy, the National Action Plan Against Poverty and Social Exclusion, 2003-2005, and the latest social partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress, which contains a special initiative on tackling educational disadvantage — literacy, numeracy and early school leavers.

My Department's approach to addressing this problem comprises legislative and curricular reforms as well as preventative interventions. The Education (Welfare) Act was fully commenced on 5 July 2002. Under the Act, the National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, was established to ensure that every child attends school regularly or otherwise receives an education. To discharge its responsibilities, the board is developing a nationwide service to provide welfare-focused services to children, families and schools.

At this stage of its development, the aim of the board is to provide a service to the most disadvantaged areas, including areas designated under the Government's RAPID programme and most at risk groups. Five regional teams have now been established with bases in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford and staff have been deployed since early December 2003 in areas of greatest disadvantage and in areas designated under the Government's RAPID programme. Thirteen towns with significant school-going populations, including Ennis, also now have an educational welfare officer allocated to them. In addition, the board will follow up on urgent cases nationally where children are not currently receiving an education.

The board issued an information leaflet to 330,000 families and 4,000 schools in early March 2004. The leaflet targeted parents and guardians of children aged between six and 16 years of age and young people aged 16 and 17 who have left school early to start work. It outlines the role that parents and guardians play in ensuring that their children do not miss out on education and training and also gives information about the National Educational Welfare Board. In addition, the board launched a new lo-call telephone number to inform parents and guardians about their legal role and responsibilities under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000.

As provided for under section 10 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, my Department is working with the board to ensure that any opportunities for integrated working between educational welfare officers and staff on other educational disadvantage programmes whose work involves a school attendance element, such as school completion programme, home school community liaison scheme and the visiting teachers for Travellers service, are exploited to the full.

My Department operates a number of programmes, including the giving children an even break programme and the home school community liaison scheme, which provide additional supports for children in primary and post-primary schools from disadvantaged backgrounds who are most at risk of educational disadvantage and early school leaving. My Department's main programme for tackling early school leaving is the school completion programme, which was launched in 2002. The school completion programme incorporates the learning, experience and best practice derived from previous early school leaving initiatives and assimilates the eight to 15 early school leaver initiative, ESLI, and the stay in school retention initiative at second level, SSRI. It is a key component of my Department's strategy to discriminate positively in favour of children and young people who are at risk of early school leaving. The programme is based on an integrated cross community approach to tackling educational disadvantage, involving 82 projects, one of which is based in Ennis.

With regard to curriculum reform, my Department's strategies have included widening the educational experience available to students. These strategies aim to achieve a greater level of inclusiveness in curricular provision through such programmes as the junior certificate schools programme — JCSP, the leaving certificate vocational programme — LCVP, vocational preparation and training — VPT — and the leaving certificate applied — LCA.

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