ESTABLISHED in 1995, the Integrated Services Initiative's overall aim is "to develop models of provision in the areas of education, health, justice and other social services which will allow everyone in the local community to contribute actively to society and to achieve their full potential." To this end, ISI's research and development officer, Ger Doherty, has prepared a comprehensive series of reports on the current provision and the summary document, Common Goals Unmet Needs, includes a range of recommendations as to future provision.
The ISI report on the education system and Dublin's northeast inner city provides a fascinating insight into a system that is still failing most of the area's children despite a number of positive interventions and much hard work by teachers, counsellors and others. The analysis, recommendations and forthcoming pilot projects should be of value to anyone interested in tackling the problems of socio economically disadvantaged areas.
The north east inner city is served by 16 primary and six post primary schools catering for about 2,500 children at primary level and about 2,000 at post primary. The Rutland Street Pre School caters for about 100 children aged between three and five years from the Sean MacDermott Street parish and two primary schools in the area provide pre school classes for about 40 children. There are two local special schools.
A voluntary agency, Citywise, provides small group tuition for ten to twelve 13-15 year olds who are out of school. The Community After Schools project is providing after schools activities, including homework support, for five to seven year olds from one local school. All the children enrolled in this school are entitled to attend, irrespective of circumstances.
A number of measures are in place to combat disadvantage. The average class size was 23.2 in 1995/96 compared with 27.5 in the most recent national average available (1994/95). Meals are available in local primary schools free or at low cost and primary schools get grants towards the cost of providing books to "needy" pupils.
All primary schools except the two Gaelscoileanna were included in the scheme of assistance to schools in designated areas of disadvantage up to 1996. Twelve are now included in the new Breaking the Cycle initiative. Five of the six post primary schools serving the area are included in the scheme of assistance to schools in areas of designated disadvantage.
In 1995/96 remedial teaching was available in all of the primary schools with the exception of one Gaelscoil and 585 children or 23.8 per cent of pupils in mainstream classes were receiving remedial teaching. This compares to a national average of 8.3 per cent.
Eleven local primary schools have had teacher counsellors on a full time or shared basis since September 1995. There are seven home school liaison teachers in the north east inner city. The Rutland Street pre school was established to combat disadvantage.
IN the 1991 census, 55.2 per cent of the population of the north east inner city who were aged 15 or over stated that they had left school at or before the age of 15. Only 4.7 per cent stated that they had remained in full time education until they were 20 or older. The north east inner city accounted for 29 per cent of the cases in which statutory notice was served under the School Attendance Act and for 36 per cent of the cases in which summonses were issued, while having fewer than four per cent of the total number of Dublin pupils to whom the Act applied.
Of pupils aged between six and 15 years of age, 7.9 per cent (239 pupils) were classed as "irregular attenders" in the period September to December 1995 - they had missed an average of at least two days per week. In the same period, 31 pupils were being suspended repeatedly, according to the report.
In the 18 months to February 1996, 16 local children spent between three and 12 months without school places because no appropriate place was available - the failure of these children to get places was generally due to behavioural rather than learning difficulties.
Many pupils leaving local primary school were much less able for second level education than average primary school leavers, according to information obtained by the ISI on the performance in reading tests of primary school leavers who were applying to enter three of the local post primary schools. At the other end, the educational qualifications of school leavers from the north east inner city schools are considerably below national levels while a significant number leave school before or shortly after their 15th birthdays, the age at which school attendance is no longer compulsory.
Not surprisingly, in 1992, the rate of admission to higher education for the Dublin 1 postal district, which contains about 60 per cent of the population bf the north east inner city, was the lowest for any Dublin postal district.
Poor educational attainment is often associated with other difficulties. For instance, the ISI report alludes to the most recent study of people abusing drugs and seeking treatment in the greater Dublin area, which showed that 41 per cent of those attending from the north east inner city were under the age of 15.
According to the ISI, none of the area's problems can be solved in isolation. A co ordinated approach is needed and community participation is central. Having examined current provision in education, health, justice and social welfare, the ISI has developed a number of proposals for programmes which can provide more effective supports to the family. The project is managed by a committee comprising representatives of ICON and the relevant Government and statutory organisations.
Doherty is anxious to point out that education difficulties are compounded by poverty, lack of employment, lack of play facilities, lack of after school activities, peer pressure, drugs, crime.
AT an early stage of the ISI's project, young parents were selected as a priority group. Key issues identified included the difficulty which most parents have in managing on social welfare incomes, the hopes which parents had for their children in relation to education and the opinion of parents that factors in the local environment hampered children's educational progress. The pressing need for adequate play facilities and the need for a broad range of family support services were also identified.
There are proposals for a pilot project which would work with young parents, acting as a focus for the delivery of services to young families. The ISI recommends the establishment of a local centre to provide convenient access to services and to encourage the use of services through an outreach programme.
It would also be used to deliver new services and to promote community development by giving more local people the opportunity to work and make decisions at local level and to provide information on higher level policies.
To date the initiatives have been funded by £50,000 from the Department of Social Welfare. Funding is now being sought for the proposed pilot project for parents. The Department of Social Welfare has again made a definite financial commitment as has the health board. The ISI has approached Dublin Corporation, the Garda and the Department of Education and is hoping to secure £8,000 from each of these agencies.
