Students from poorer areas face further woes

Less-experienced teachers, higher absenteeism, and literacy difficulties may be compounding social factors that impact on children in schools with high concentrations of disadvantage, research has revealed.

An Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) study to be published today found that children in urban disadvantaged schools have lower reading and maths test scores than those in non-disadvantaged schools, even taking account of differences in individual social background. “This gap is partly explained by differences in teacher experience, higher absenteeism rates and the concentration of literacy difficulties,” said the authors.

Previous figures showed that much higher proportions of pupils at disadvantaged schools have literacy problems, but this study may shed more light on the associated factors. It looked at the impact on student outcomes of the concentration of pupils from different social background in primary schools. The work is part of the ongoing Growing up in Ireland (GUI) study, with ESRI and Trinity College Dublin researchers tracking the social, health, and education progress of almost 20,000 children.

Schools in disadvantaged areas, including those in the Dept of Education’s DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) programme, have previously had difficulty recruiting or retaining experienced staff.

The ESRI study includes research among teachers, and has found that those working in DEIS schools, are more likely to use teacher-directed approaches. They were less likely to use more active teaching methods — recommended to increase student engagement with learning — than staff of other schools.

The report, to be detailed at a conference this morning, suggests that principals and teachers adapt practices to reflect student composition, as time given to different subjects and approaches to discipline also varies depending on social mix.

Urban schools in DEIS are more likely to use suspension, even after considering for the higher levels of emotional and behavioural difficulties. But nine-year-olds in DEIS schools were just as positive about school and their teacher as all other pupils.

A separate study found that emotional and behavioural difficulties were more common among children from working-class backgrounds and in boys, as were other forms of special needs. The GUI data has helped ESRI staff provide the first insights into the experiences of children with special educational needs.

The finding that one-in-four children has some needs is in line with estimates from recent studies in other countries. But pupils with additional needs, particularly those with learning disabilities, face considerable barriers to fully engaging with school life.

“For such children, low levels of academic engagement and poor relations with their teachers and peers play a central role in explaining lower levels of school engagement and overall enjoyment of school,” the ESRI said.