Written answers

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Department of Education and Skills

Educational Disadvantage

8:00 pm

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he will publish the review of delivering equality and opportunity in schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8424/11]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 121: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will support changes to the delivering equality and opportunity in schools programme in order that it takes into account rural disadvantage as much as urban disadvantage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8425/11]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 122: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will support changes to delivering equality and opportunity in schools programmes in order that the money follows disadvantaged students as opposed to disadvantaged schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8426/11]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 123: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current weaknesses he perceives in the delivering equality and opportunity in schools programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8427/11]

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of voluntary schools currently under the delivering equality and opportunity in schools programme; the number of vocational education committee schools under the delivering equality and opportunity in schools programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8428/11]

Photo of Ciarán CannonCiarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 to 124, inclusive, together.

DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools), the action plan for Educational Inclusion was launched on 30 May 2005 and has been rolled out on a phased basis – commencing during the school year 2005/2006. The action plan provides for a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage and an integrated School Support Programme (SSP). The process of identifying primary and second-level schools for participation in DEIS was managed externally by the Educational Research Centre (ERC) on behalf of my Department and was supported by quality assurance work, co-ordinated through the Department's regional offices and the Inspectorate. The identification process was also supported by an Advisory Group which included representatives of the INTO and the Irish Primary Principals' Network.

A comprehensive evaluation of DEIS has been underway since the roll out of supports commenced in 2006. The Department commissioned the Educational Research Centre to undertake this evaluation and a report of this evaluation from the ERC is expected shortly. This report is the second in a series of reports concerning the ERC's ongoing evaluation of DEIS. A previous evaluation report on DEIS focusing on rural disadvantage is available for download on the Educational Research Centre website (www.erc.ie). I envisage that the next report from the ERC will also be made available following consideration within my Department and by the representative Advisory Group.

The Department's Inspectorate has also conducted an evaluation of the implementation of DEIS in a number of primary and post primary schools. The report from this exercise is also expected in the near future. It is expected that these evaluations will clarify any potential weaknesses in the processes of selecting the participating schools, the configuration and merits of the support programme and in the implementation process.

Evidence strongly suggests that disadvantage associated with rural poverty does not have the same impact on educational achievement as is the case in the urban context. While urban and rural disadvantage share many characteristics, such as poverty, unemployment and poor housing conditions such disadvantage in a rural context does not have the same impact on educational performance. Evidence from the recent evaluation of DEIS rural primary schools found that children attending DEIS rural primary schools are performing almost at the national averages in literacy and numeracy. There is no evidence that additional teaching supports for these schools will make any meaningful difference to educational achievement. Nonetheless some 331 rural DEIS primary schools are supported with additional financial provision; access to the school meals programme; access to after-school and holiday programmes; access for teachers to a range of professional development programmes to assist in supporting the educational needs of children in these schools.

All publicly funded schools continue to be supported through the allocation of general and specifically targeted learning and resource supports at an overall cost exceeding some €600m. These supports are provided to address the learning needs of those who are identified as requiring additional supports. There is no evidence to support a case that DEIS related supports should be provided to schools with few disadvantaged children. While such children may suffer poverty or social disadvantage, this does not automatically translate as achievement disadvantage and where it does it should be addressed through the learning and resource supports provided.

There is significant evidence from research, both in Ireland and elsewhere, that the achievement disadvantages associated with poverty are exacerbated when large proportions of pupils in a school are from poor backgrounds (a 'social context' effect). It is appropriate, therefore, from a policy point of view, to target resources at schools in which disadvantage is most concentrated. DEIS supports are designed to meet the additional needs of schools in recognition of the concentrated nature of their disadvantage.

DEIS was the outcome of the first full review of all programmes for tackling educational disadvantage that had been in place in the preceding twenty years. The DEIS plan has been warmly received across the education sector. That is not to say that there are not improvements that can be made in any renewal of DEIS. The implementation and evaluation of DEIS has been continuously supported by ongoing consultation with Education Partners and stakeholders. In addition there is a commitment to consult widely on any new process for the identification of schools and the renewal of DEIS.

In the current climate my Department's main focus is to retain, where possible, key resources in the schools targeted under the DEIS initiative. This approach is in line with the broad thrust of the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General in his report on Primary Disadvantage in 2006, which suggested that the Department should focus its educational disadvantage measures on those schools serving the most disadvantaged. The list of all schools in the DEIS programme is available on my Department's website: www.education.ie. There are 200 post primary schools in the DEIS programme. The breakdown between the sectors is as follows: Community & Comprehensive Schools 26; Voluntary Secondary Schools 48 and VEC schools 126.

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