Written answers

Tuesday, 27 June 2006

Department of Education and Science

Educational Disadvantage

11:00 pm

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 548: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools in each strand of the new DEIS scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24726/06]

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 549: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools remaining in the old system of educational disadvantage; the reason they have not been included under DEIS; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24727/06]

Photo of Olwyn EnrightOlwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 561: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the criteria under which appeals under the DEIS programme will be considered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24793/06]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 548, 549 and 561 together.

The DEIS action plan is designed to ensure that schools serving the most disadvantaged communities benefit from the maximum level of support available. Over the years, no less than 8 separate schemes for disadvantaged primary schools have been put in place. Some schools were benefiting from just one or two of these and others were benefiting from more. The DEIS initiative is designed to ensure that the most disadvantaged schools benefit from a comprehensive package of supports.

While the whole rationale behind the new programme is to ensure that the most disadvantaged schools benefit from all of the available supports, schools that are benefiting from pre-existing schemes will keep the extra resources — financial and human — that they are getting under these initiatives for the 2006/07 school year. After that they will continue to get support in line with the level of socio-economic disadvantage among their pupils.

The process of identifying primary and second-level schools for participation in the new School Support Programme (SSP) was managed by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of my Department and supported by quality assurance work co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate.

As a result of the identification process, 840 schools were invited to participate in the SSP. These comprised 640 primary schools (320 urban/town schools and 320 rural schools) and 200 second-level schools. The 320 urban/town primary schools comprise 180 schools in Band 1 and 140 schools in Band 2. I am delighted to say that 833 of the schools invited to join the new programme have accepted the invitation. A full listing of the schools is published on my Department's website.

A review process has been put in place for primary and second-level schools that did not qualify for participation in the School Support Programme and that regard themselves as having a level of disadvantage which is of a scale sufficient to warrant their inclusion in the programme. Over 360 review applications from schools have been received.

The review process applies only to those primary schools that participated in the ERC survey in May 2005 and only to those eligible second-level schools for which data were available from the relevant databases. Review requests must be evidence-based and based on the variables and reference dates used in the identification process for the SSP. Having completed the process for each school requesting a review, the review group will make a recommendation to my Department in the case of each such school.

It is anticipated that the review process will be completed shortly.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.