Up to 30 per cent of primary schoolchildren in poorer areas suffer severe literacy difficulties, according to a major new report.
The findings of the report from the Education Research Centre presented a "major challenge to all of us", the Minister for Education and Science, Ms Hanafin, said yesterday.
In announcing a €500,000 package to help buy books in these schools, Ms Hanafin said the report provided the first comprehensive baseline information on literacy achievement in disadvantaged schools. "We know from previous research that about 10 per cent of children in our schools would have serious reading difficulties," she said.
"Yet this report shows that the number of children in designated disadvantaged schools with serious reading difficulties is between 25 and 30 per cent."
The report surveyed the reading habits and levels of more than 6,500 pupils in first, third and sixth classes. About a quarter of those surveyed came from backgrounds where there was no culture of reading in the home.
Last night Mr John Carr, general secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, said: "What has shocked teachers is the inertia of the past two years. It is unforgivable that in the first two years of this Government's term of office, so little was done to tackle disadvantage. A priority for the new Minister is to secure a budgetary increase to fund action and to publish a coherent action plan immediately afterwards."
The INTO also highlighted the report's "shocking" finding that 13 per cent of children in poorer areas were being taught by people with no qualifications.
"This is clearly a contributory factor to learning difficulties. The INTO has pointed out that many disadvantaged schools had between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of staff with no teaching qualifications. Seventy-two per cent of the schools surveyed had at least one unqualified person."
Ms Hanafin stopped short yesterday of making any firm commitment on foot of the report, aside from making money available for books. "The issue of literacy will be addressed in a comprehensive way by the action plan on tackling disadvantage that is currently being finalised in my department," she said.
She is opposed to any plan to provide "hello money" to attract and retain teachers for poorer areas, despite evidence that schools in these areas often find it difficult to recruit staff. However, she does favour special leave and other incentives to help combat the problem.
The report found that parents of children in poorer areas had an overly positive view of their children's literacy.
The Minister said she had no problem with standardised tests which could provide useful information for parents. Nonetheless, she would oppose any model which would allow for the compilation of school league tables.
Mr Carr said many factors which affected literacy standards and educational attainment lay outside the school's influence.
"For example, one in four children in Ireland lives in families where the household income is half of the national average income. This translates into children coming to school hungry, poorly dressed, no books, no money for extras.
" Is it any wonder there are reading difficulties when this is the daily reality for so many children? Food and clothing, not books, are the priorities here."