John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 278: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the schools in County Sligo and north Leitrim which operate the Early Start programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31132/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

There are currently no Early Start pre-schools operating in counties Sligo and north Leitrim. The new action plan for educational inclusion, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, which will be introduced on a phased basis, starting during the current school year, aims to ensure that the educational needs of children and young people, from pre-school to completion of upper second level education, that is, three to 18 years, from disadvantaged communities are prioritised and effectively addressed. The new plan is the outcome of the first full review of all programmes for tackling educational disadvantage that have been put in place over the past twenty years and it will involve an additional annual investment of approximately €40 million on full implementation. It will also involve the creation of about 300 additional posts across the education system generally.

A key element of this new action plan is the putting in place of a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage in our primary and second level schools, which will result in improved targeting of resources at those most in need. As a result of the identification process, 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, SSP. The SSP 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.

Early childhood education actions will be concentrated on those children, aged from three up to school enrolment, who will subsequently attend the 150 urban or town primary schools, participating in the new school support programme, and identified as serving the most disadvantaged communities. The early childhood education actions under the new plan will be well targeted and my Department will work in partnership with other Departments and agencies with a view to meeting the overall care and education needs of the children involved in an integrated way. A strong emphasis will be placed on adding value to the work of other providers by embedding quality early learning within child care provision. We anticipate being in a position to notify participating schools on the outcome of the ongoing identification process by the end of the year.