Almost 200 schools appeal how new DEIS model was applied to them
A new, updated DEIS identification model, which uses enrollment and national census data, was applied to every primary and post-primary school in the State.
Almost 200 schools have lodged appeals with the Department of Education following the roll-out of its new model for identifying educational disadvantage.
In March, Norma Foley, the Minister for Education, announced the expansion of the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) programme.
A new, updated DEIS identification model, which uses enrollment and national census data, was applied to every primary and post-primary school in the State.
With 347 schools added to the programme, it marked the single largest expansion of the DEIS programme, at a cost of €32 million.
Figures provided by the Department of Education show that 197 schools that were not satisfied with how the new model was applied have since lodged appeals.
Schools that identified an error in the information provided for the preliminary enrolments, or who wished for the Department to verify how the steps of the new model were applied correctly could initiate an appeal before April.
As appeals were received from 197 out of 3,832 schools, this indicates that just under 95% were satisfied with how the new model was applied to their school enrolment data, a spokeswoman for the Department of Education said.
For September 2022, the refined DEIS identification model was applied to the enrollment returns provided by schools in the National School Annual Census for 2021/2022, which were returned via the school enrolment databases, she added.
The new DEIS model includes components to reflect the levels of educational disadvantage experienced by Traveller or Roma students, students in direct provision centres and students who are experiencing homelessness. The model was applied to all schools, meaning they did not need to apply.
