Many Government schemes to deal with educational disadvantage have serious shortcomings and make inadequate provision for poorer pupils, a report from a Government-appointed steering group has concluded.
The report, "Funding of Second-level Schools", will be published soon by the Department of Education and Science and is likely to prompt a major review of second-level funding.
A copy of the report seen by The Irish Times says the way the Department allocates funds to tackle disadvantage needs to be "urgently examined in more detail".
Significant funding is paid without any follow-up to ensure it is being used to tackle education disadvantage, it says. "There is a danger that funding may not always reach to the extent it should those most in need."
Consequently, it says, schools in future should have to draw up specific plans which include an undertaking "that all of the funding will be used" for disadvantage purposes only.
Regarding one of the Department's most costly schemes - the Designated Areas Scheme - the report says some principals may "overestimate" the level of disadvantage in their schools to obtain "extra teaching resources and per capita grants".
On the other hand, other principals might understate the situation to avoid the stigma of being classified as disadvantaged.
Another issue is the way the scheme provides assistance to schools rather than pupils. It says this could lead to pupils in small towns and rural areas being neglected.
A further problem highlighted is the lack of a continuing review of the designated areas scheme. "This leads to inequities, as it takes no account of the changing profile of some schools over time."
It says it is inequitable that "a school which falls just short of being selected for the designated areas or home school community liaison scheme will not receive any assistance despite the existence of a need which is almost as great as the school which was the last selected for assistance". It suggests a sliding scale or "some other suitable mechanism" should be considered.
Another defect noted is that each pupil in the school receives a portion of the funding, whether disadvantaged or not, so the support is provided "regardless of the extent of their needs".
In relation to the Designated Areas Scheme and the Free Books Scheme, the report says the criteria for inclusion in both are "subjective", relying on "the assessment of individual school principals".
"The steering group recommends that a more objective means of selecting schools for additional assistance should be developed." In relation to the needs of disadvantaged pupils in small towns and rural areas, it says "a system of support should be made available for disadvantaged pupils in schools which are not designated as disadvantaged". This should be additional to funding for disadvantage already targeted at schools.
The existence of different eligibility rules for the various schemes "may lead to anomalies of treatment", says the report. "A review of the criteria across the schemes designed to assist in combating educational disadvantage should be undertaken to seek to ensure consistency and eliminate anomalies." The report examined the total system of funding for second-level schools and says changes to the present system can only come about after a proper post-primary pupil database is created in the Department of Education.
When this is in place it recommends that 90 per cent of a school's funding (excluding salaries) should be based on a formula while the rest should be allocated on a supplementary basis.
"Separate arrangements are necessary concerning funding in respect of educational disadvantage."
The steering group was chaired by retired principal Mr Edward Blackstock and its members included representatives of the ESRI, the Departments of Finance and Education and Science and several former principals.