Sir, – Private schools secure most of their funding in the form of fees paid by parents. This is supplemented by annual grants from the State amounting in total to €110 million. Deis schools located in the most disadvantaged areas of the country receive resources from the State calculated in the same way that applies to all schools in the so-called “free” education scheme.
To deal with the additional challenges they face, Deis schools receive additional personnel and financial resources.
However, as our recent research has demonstrated, these are completely inadequate. In total, expenditure under the Deis heading amounts to €150 million. The €110 million to the fee-paying sector is shared across circa 50 schools. The €150 million in Deis funding is shared across circa 880 primary and post-primary schools.
Clearly, there is a gross lack of equity in these arrangements.
Those who lose out under the Irish education system are children and young people living in disadvantaged areas. The suggestion that it is those attending fee-paying schools is risible. – Yours, etc,
Dr BRIAN FLEMING,
Prof JUDITH HARFORD,
School of Education,
University College Dublin,
Dublin 4.