Written answers

Tuesday, 11 October 2005

Department of Education and Science

Literacy Levels

9:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 499: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her plans to address the issue of literacy here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27983/05]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Government's commitment to achieving the highest possible standards of literacy both for those in school and for adults of all ages is reflected in the social partnership agreement, Sustaining Progress. This contains a special initiative on "Tackling Educational Disadvantage — Literacy, Numeracy and Early School Leavers". Its commitment is also evident in the National Action Plan against Poverty and Social Exclusion 2003-05. Both the special initiative and the national action plan recognise literacy skills as important prerequisites for lifelong learning and for social and economic participation.

The special initiative and the national action plan focus on putting in place a range of measures to prevent and ameliorate literacy difficulties. These measures include systematically monitoring literacy attainment levels both in schools and among adults; ensuring that pupils with serious literacy difficulties in disadvantaged primary schools are supported in improving their attainment levels and providing opportunities for adult learners, particularly in the area of literacy.

The new action plan for educational inclusion, DEIS, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, which I launched in May, aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. The plan provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and a new integrated school support programme, SSP. The school support programme will bring together a number of existing interventions in schools with a concentrated level of disadvantage and build upon them. Approximately 600 primary schools and 150 second level schools will be included in it. The new action plan will be introduced on a phased basis, starting during the current school year. It will involve an additional annual investment of €40 million on full implementation. It will also involve the provision of some 300 additional posts across the education system.

A key underlying principle of DEIS is that of early intervention. It will focus on identifying children who are having difficulty with reading and writing at an early stage and assisting them before their problems become entrenched. In implementing the action plan a number of measures will be rolled out to tackle literacy problems in schools serving disadvantaged communities. These measures will include a new advisory service at primary level; more access to initiatives such as reading recovery and first steps; targeted extension of the demonstration library project at second level; a new family literacy project; targeted early childhood education provision for 150 urban-town school communities; maximum class sizes of 20:1 in junior classes and 24:1 in senior classes in the 150 urban-town primary schools with the highest concentrations of disadvantage; interventions to enhance student attendance, educational progression, retention and attainment.

Central to the success of the action plan will be increased emphasis on planning at school and school cluster level. There will be a strong focus on target setting and the measurement of progress and outcomes to ensure that the increased investment is matched by an improvement in educational outcomes for the children and young people concerned.

My Department continues to support an expanding range of programmes and initiatives for adults who are experiencing literacy difficulties. In 2004, €29.2 million was spent on adult literacy and community education services which were availed of by over 33,000 clients. This represents a significant increase from 1997 when funding of €1 million was provided to cater for 5,000 adults.

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