Thirteen extra DEIS schools in Offaly
Minister for Education Norma Foley TD has announced a major expansion of the DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme that will see the programme extended to an additional 13 schools across Offaly.
For the first time since 2017 the DEIS programme is being significantly expanded and eligible schools will now gain access to targeted supports to address educational disadvantage.
Schools in the DEIS programme avail of a range of targeted supports aimed at tackling educational disadvantage, including additional classroom teaching posts, home-school community liaison coordinator posts, DEIS grant funding and access to the School Completion Programme.
This announcement sees an additional investment of €32million per annum being allocated to the 310 schools being added to the programme nationally.
The schools being added to the programme in Offaly are:
DEIS Rural Schools
•St Ciarans Mixed NS, Ballycumber
•Naomh Mhuire NS, Geashill
•Croinchoill NS, Birr
•SN Mhuire Naofa, Rhode
•Castlejordan Central NS
•St Cynoc’s National School
•SN Cillin, Birr
DEIS Urban Band 1
•Scoil Mhuire, Kilcruttin
•St Patrick’s National School Edenderry
DEIS Urban Band 2
•SN Osmann, Birr
•Scoil Bhride Primary School, Edenderry
•Gaelscoil Éadan Doire
DEIS Post-Primary
•St Brendan’s Community School, Birr
Six schools in Offaly have been reclassified from DEIS Urban Band 2 to DEIS Urban Band 1. These are Mercy Primary School Birr, St Brendans Monastery, Clara Convent NS, SN Naomh Philomena, SN Naomh Bhrigde Buach and St Joseph’s NS in Tullamore.
Minister Foley said: “I am delighted to announce the largest-ever single investment in the DEIS programme and in particular the addition of 13 new schools in Offaly. I have no doubt that today’s announcement will be of enormous benefit to the students in these schools.
“The DEIS programme is an internationally recognised, proven programme that provides targeted resources to schools with the highest levels of concentrated educational disadvantage to supports their students to have an equal opportunity to achieve their potential in education.
The Department of Education will work with the schools that will benefit from the programme to support them to make the transition. Information sessions will be held for schools in the coming weeks on the DEIS programme, what supports will be available to schools and to support them in planning for improvement. Materials are in development to inform parents and students of the benefits of inclusion in the DEIS programme.
From September 2022, these schools will access all supports under the programme to match their respective band. Schools are assigned to the DEIS bands based on the location of the school and their level of concentrated educational disadvantage.