Research throws doubt over policy on school disadvantage

RESEARCH by the Government’s economic think-tank has raised further doubts over the suitability of targeting extra money only at schools with the highest numbers of disadvantaged pupils.

Under its Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme, the Department of Education focuses extra staff and supports on around one-in-four primary and second level schools for the last five years.

But Dr Emer Smyth of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) told a principals’ conference that their latest work has found that most children from the lowest socio-economic categories do not benefit. Less than 40% of those from semi-skilled and unskilled families are in DEIS second-level schools and less than half of those from homes of unemployed parents attend them.