More disadvantaged schools to receive support funding

AN extra 40 schools have been included in the Government’s programme of extra supports to help tackle educational disadvantage.

They were among around 360 schools which appealed their exclusion from the list of schools selected in February to take part in the School Support Programme (SSP).

The 36 primary and four second level schools being notified of the good news this week bring to more than 870 the number benefiting under the SSP, part of Education Minister Mary Hanafin’s Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) action plan unveiled in May 2005.

They have been written to by the Department of Education’s social inclusion unit and must respond by September 18 with an indication of whether they wish to take part.

The 635 primary and 198 second level schools which accepted the invitation to participate earlier this year will benefit from some of the initiatives in the first term back, beginning next month.

The level of extra resources being provided under the SSP varies depending on the category into which schools have been placed.

The heaviest supports will be given to around 185 Urban Primary Band I schools, deemed the most disadvantaged. They will benefit from greater class size reductions, pre-school education for local children before entering infant classes and reduced teaching times for principals.

All 676 primary schools will receive other resources, to include extra funding for book grants and book rental schemes.

The 204 second level schools included in the SSP will benefit from measures such as literacy and numeracy programmes, development of home and community links, and extra guidance counselling posts to increase support for junior cycle students at risk of leaving school early.