LIAISON SCHEME: Educational disadvantage is not just a matter for the teacher - parents and the community also have a role to play.
The Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL) was put in place in 1990, with 30 teachers appointed to act as liaison co-ordinators in 55 primary schools. The three-year pilot phase of the scheme ended in 1993 and HSCL became a mainstream resource in primary and post-primary schools. All designated disadvantaged schools were offered a liaison service from September 1999.
A new book by Dr Concepta Connaty, the national co-ordinator for disadvantage initiatives with the Department of Education, outlines the history and progress of HSCL. She was principal of the Sacred Heart National School, Killinarden, Tallaght, for 10 years, before joining the Department of Education in 1990 to work with the HSCL scheme.
An OECD study, Parents as Partners in Schooling (1997), endorsed HSCL as a good example of innovative central government initiatives. It goes on to state: "It is clear from the Irish experience that educational initiatives based in schools can raise the educational awareness of the adults involved, and result in a general sense of empowerment in the local community.
"Parental involvement, especially in areas of socio-economic deprivation, does not just benefit children and the school - it is a crucial aspect of lifelong learning."
This book, Including All by Concepta Connaty, published by Veritas, is a useful resource, providing the first comprehensive account of HSCL.
