Local schools call on government to reverse cuts in funding programme
By Aura McMenamin
A group of schools in Clondalkin have called for the government to reverse cuts to a programme aimed at supporting disadvantaged children at risk of leaving school.
The School Completion Programme (SCP) was created in 2002 to increase the numbers of young people staying in primary and second level school and successfully completing the senior cycle.
A letter has been sent to Minister Katherine Zappone
The SCP, now under the remit of child and family agency, Tusla, saw a series of cuts from 2011 to 2014.
The principals of eight schools in Clondalkin met with Fianna Fáil TD John Curran, Sinn Fein TD Eoin Ó Broin and Fine Gael TD Frances Fitzgerald on Friday, March 16, to discuss their concerns.
“We outlined a number of concerns,” said cluster chair and principal of Scoil Mhuire, Carol Burke Heneghan.
“Since the inception of the SCP, the profile of school children in Clondalkin has changed.”
According to the cluster, schools need supports for the increasing number of homeless children living in emergency accommodation as well as for ethnic minorities and families living in direct provision.
Art and play therapy
After the last cuts in 2014, the eight schools in this cluster now have €214,000 between them for this programme which provides breakfast clubs, homework clubs, after-school supports, mentoring programmes and art and play therapy.
The programme sees the provision of meals, attendance monitoring and mentor support at primary and post primary level.
“Play and art therapy, particularly at primary level, are important for children with behavioural or emotional problems,” Ms Burke Heneghan said.
The group is made up of primary schools Scoil Mhuire, St Joseph’s BNS, Scoil Íde, Scoil Scoil Naomh Áine, Clonburris NS and Sruleen NS.
There are two secondary schools, Coláiste Bríde and Moyle Park College also represented.
Only one of the eight schools in the cluster, made up of six primary schools and two secondary schools, is classed as a DEIS school.
Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) is classification of schools to help children and young people who are at risk of or who are experiencing educational disadvantage.
“Teachers feel that non-DEIS classification does not reflect the challenges in the area,” Deputy John Curran said.
Students in homeless accomomodation
According to stats collected by each school, Coláiste Bríde has as many as 17-25 students in homeless accommodation with 12 living in Direct Provision, for asylum seekers.
Scoil Ide recorded 15 families living in the Clondalkin Towers direct provision centre with four Traveller and four Roma families and noted: “We rent 26 pupils’ books from our book rental scheme as the grant is not large enough to buy the books.”
Primary school Scoil Mhuire also recorded that up to 70 students had not paid for books this year.
Sruleen NS noted that without SCP, their attendance rate of 93 per cent would “be much lower”.
The cluster has written a letter to Minister for Children Katherine Zappone asking to meet with them.
A spokeswoman for Tusla said that the cuts were before the SCP came under their remit. She said: “Tusla can confirm there are no cuts to the School Completion Programme (SCP) in Clondalkin or any other part of the country. There has been no reduction in funding since responsibility for the SCP came under the remit of Tusla on its establishment in 2014.
“Tusla is committed to the provision of the SCP to drive consistent improvement in the rates of school completion using programmes and interventions to retain young people in education and to support those who have dropped out to re-engage with learning.”
