Vol. 563 No. 1
297 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a school (details supplied) in County Roscommon is losing its disadvantaged status; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that more than 42% of the pupils come from a disadvantaged background; if he will rescind his decision to remove the disadvantaged status designation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6916/03]
The Deputy may be aware that the programme, Giving Children an Even Break, was launched in 2001 to tackle educational disadvantage at primary level. Schools participating in the programme are in receipt of a range of additional supports including teacher posts and other non-teaching supports, to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils. The additional supports to be provided reflect the level of concentration of pupils from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in each school invited to participate in the programme. These levels of disadvantage were established as a result of a comprehensive survey of primary schools carried out by the Educational Research Centre, ERC, in March and April 2000 at the request of my Department. All the schools identified as having pupils enrolled with characteristics of disadvantage have been invited to participate in Giving Children an Even Break.
The aim of the survey was to gain an indication of the level of disadvantage in each school using principals' responses to a questionnaire comprised of items relating to disadvantage. Any school in which there was at least one pupil which satisfied any of the criteria associated with socio-economic disadvantage was entitled to additional resources under Giving Children an Even Break.
Resources were allocated to schools on a sliding scale, and schools with greater proportions of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds were allocated proportionately more resources than those with fewer numbers of such pupils.
In the urban dimension, schools identified as having the highest concentration of pupils with characteristics that are associated with educational disadvantage have been considered for additional staffing to implement a maximum class size of 20:1 in junior classes – infants through second class – and 27:1 in senior classes – third through sixth class.
Based on data supplied by the school to the ERC, the school was selected in 2001 for inclusion in this category. In addition, the school in question was allocated additional funding based on the percentage of disadvantaged pupils enrolled as estimated by the Educational Research Centre survey carried out in 2000.
Unfortunately, the school referred to by the Deputy misinterpreted a question on the survey form which resulted in miscalculation of points by the ERC. In consequence, the ERC has now re-examined the data supplied in the survey form submitted in 2000 and calculated the correct points total in respect of the school. The total is lower than that on which the original level of staffing and funding allocation granted to the school in question under Giving Children an Even Break was based.
