Measures to address educational disadvantage

Information

Educational disadvantage in Ireland refers to the situation where some individuals derive less benefit from the education system than their peers. The Education Act 1998 refers to educational disadvantage as “the impediments to education arising from social or economic disadvantage which prevent students from deriving appropriate benefit from education in schools”. Educational disadvantage is demonstrated in many ways, most often in poor levels of participation and achievement in the formal education system.

There are other ways in which children may be disadvantaged, for example as a result of a disability, literacy difficulties, ill health, etc. Read about the supports for their education in special needs education, psychological services for schools, financial help with going to school and special educational arrangements for Travellers.

Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS)

The Department of Education and Science has a range of national programmes in place to address educational disadvantage throughout the public school system. In May 2005 following a review of these programmes the Department published DEIS - Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools: an action plan for social inclusion (pdf). The plan brings a number of these programmes together under the framework of Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS). It is a more integrated approach to the issue of educational inclusion which provides for:

• A standardised system for identifying and regularly reviewing levels of disadvantage and
• A new integrated School Support Programme (SSP) which will bring together and build upon the following existing schemes and programmes

There is a list of schools in the School Support Programme.
Since 2005 the following existing programmes have been integrated into the School Support Programme under DEIS. From September 2009 a single coordinated School Support Programme involving the Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL), the School Completion Programme (SCP) and the Visiting Teachers Service for Travellers (VTST) will be integrated under the NEWB.

Early Start Pre-School Scheme

Early Start is a one-year preventative intervention scheme offered to pre-school children (3 to 4 years old) in some schools in designated disadvantaged areas. More detailed information about Early Start is available.

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme

A total of 311 primary schools and 203 post-primary schools in Ireland have been designated as disadvantaged. This means that they get a greater level of support in terms of pupil-teacher ratios, special grants and extra support for pupils. Currently the maximum class size is 15 pupils for senior classes and 20 for primary classes. There is further information available about the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.

Giving Children an Even Break

Giving Children an Even Break by tackling disadvantage is an initiative that began in 2001. In 2005 it was integrated into DEIS. Participating schools are provided with extra teaching and financial resources so that their pupils can take advantage of quality education no matter what their social or economic circumstances. Breaking the Cycle

The "Breaking the Cycle of Educational Disadvantage Project" was introduced in 1996 and was the first scheme within the Department of Education and Science that focused on positive discrimination in favour of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Breaking the Cycle focused on large-scale urban disadvantage and on rural and dispersed disadvantage. All the schools in Breaking the Cycle are now included in the Giving Children an Even Break scheme but they retain the extra benefits they were given under Breaking the Cycle.  

School Completion Programme

The School Completion Programme, introduced in 2002, includes the "8 to 15 Early School Leaver Initiative" and the "Stay in School" Retention Initiative. The School Completion Programme aims to help students from disadvantaged areas stay in school to complete their Leaving Certificate.

Support Teachers Project

The Support Teachers Project (formerly known as the Teacher/Counsellor Project) aims to co-ordinate a whole-school approach to discipline that will help to prevent the occurrence of disruptive behaviour. Typically, the support teacher targets the twelve to fifteen most disturbed or disruptive children in the school and works with these pupils on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. 

Home-School-Community Liaison Scheme

The Home School-Community Liaison Scheme was established in 1991. It aims to improve co-operation between home, schools and communities to advance the educational interests of disadvantaged children. Other schemes

The Learning Support Teacher Scheme

Learning support teachers provide extra support teaching for children experiencing learning difficulties, particularly in the core areas of literacy and numeracy. Generally this extra support is provided in the form of extra teaching in small groups or individually.

School Meals Programme

The School Meals Programme aims to supplement the diets of school-going children from disadvantaged backgrounds to help them fulfil their potential within the educational system and to reduce the risk of early school leaving. There are two schemes.

The Urban Scheme supports school meals for primary schools in urban areas. In 2005 60,000 students in 400 urban primary schools were provided with school meals by local authorities. This programme consists of daily sandwiches or buns and milk. The scheme is not a replacement for home meals.

The Local Projects Scheme gives funding directly to national and secondary schools, local groups and voluntary organisations, which operate their own school meals projects (the meals may be hot or cold). In 2004 the scheme was extended to nursery schools catering for disadvantaged pre-school children. These meals must be targeted at areas of disadvantage or at children with special needs. Funding is allocated on the basis of a rate per meal per child. In 2004, some 41,000 children in 450 schools were part of the programme.
Funding for school meals comes from the Department of Social and Family Affairs and local authorities.

Special projects for disadvantaged youth

These projects are geared towards young people in the second-level education age group but they are also relevant for some primary school students.

DES Projects for Disadvantaged Youth

Under this scheme, grants are allocated by the Department of Education and Science (DES) in respect of special out-of-school projects for disadvantaged young people. Priority is given to projects in the spheres of special youth work initiatives, young homeless people, young substance abusers and young travellers.
The projects are aimed at facilitating the personal development and social education of young people at risk of drug abuse, juvenile crime, early school leaving, social exclusion, unemployment, welfare dependence, homelessness and marginalisation. In particular, they seek to realise the potential of young people and to equip them with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for their appropriate integration in society.

Youth Information Centres

The DES funds the network of Youth Information Centres  which provide young people with access to information on rights, opportunities, benefits, health, welfare and other matters.

Young People's Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF)

This was established in 1998 to help in the development of preventative strategies in a targeted manner through the development of youth facilities, including sport and recreational facilities, and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. The aim of the fund is to attract young people in these areas at risk of becoming involved in drugs into more healthy and productive pursuits.

How to apply

For further information on DEIS contact the Social Inclusion Unit of the Department of Education and Science

For further information on the School Completion Programme contact the Co-ordination Service in the Curriculum Development Unit

For further information on the Schools Meals Scheme contact the local authority or the Department of Social and Family Affairs. There is an application form for the School Meals Local Projects Scheme (pdf). You can download the Good Practice Guide for School Food Initiatives (pdf) here.

Contact your local vocational education committee (VEC) for funding for DES Projects for Disadvantaged Youth.

Contact the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs for funding for the YPFSF.

Where to apply