Home School Community Liaison Scheme

Information

The Home School Community Liaison Scheme was established in 1990. Teachers were initially appointed as liaison officers in a number of primary schools throughout the State in areas of urban disadvantage. In 1991 the scheme was extended to post-primary schools. You can find information about the Home School Community Liaison Scheme on the Department of Education and Skills website. In May 2009 it was announced that the scheme would be integrated into a single School Support Programme under the National Educational Welfare Board. Work is under way on the integration project.

Aims

The aims of the liaison scheme are:

• To maximise the participation of the children in the learning process, in particular those who might be at risk of failure.
• To promote active co-operation between home, school and relevant community agencies in promoting the educational interests of the children.
• To raise awareness in parents of their own capacities to enhance their children's educational progress and to assist them in developing relevant skills.
• To enhance the children's uptake from education, their retention in the educational system, their continuation to post-compulsory education and to third level and their attitudes to life-long learning.
• To disseminate the positive outcomes of the scheme throughout the school system generally.

The scheme is targeted at students who are at risk of not reaching their potential in the educational system because of economic or social disadvantage.

A National Co-ordinator and Assistant National Co-ordinators advise on and support the development of the scheme, liaise with participants at local level and provide a link between local and national levels.

The home school liaison co-ordinator has access to specific funding and this is provided by the Department of Education and Skills.