Community Education Facilitators National Training
Galway, 13th and 14th November 2006
From Educational Disadvantage
to Educational Equality
Community-based Education
and wider Policy Issues
Trutz Haase
The Concept of Educational Disadvantage
The Education Act 1998 (Section 32.9) defines educational
disadvantage as “the impediments to education arising from
social or economic disadvantage which prevent students from
deriving appropriate benefits from education in schools”.
Historical Perspective

A generation ago, more than 55% of the age cohort had left
school by the age of 15 and only 20% of the age cohort
completed second level education.

Today, about 3% of the cohort leave before completing junior
cycle and over 80% sit a Leaving Certificate.

Over 85% of these proceed to some form of further or higher
education or training.
Current Level of Early School Leaving

Between 700 and 1,000 young people do not transfer from
primary to second level.

Of those who enter second level, about 2,400 (3.2%) do not stay
on to sit the Junior Cert. 3 years later.

About 10,600 of those who sit Junior Cert. do not stay on to sit
Leaving Cert. Half of these leave formal education after the
Junior Cert.

In all, at the end of the 1990s, about 13,000 young people (18.4%
of the cohort) are leaving school annually without the Leaving
Cert.
(Department of Education & Science - 2002)
The Need for a multi-faceted approach to more
inclusive Education
There is widespread recognition within OECD countries that
successful initiatives to respond to the problem of educational
disadvantage require integration of and collaboration between
statutory and voluntary agencies and between educators /
trainers and parents and their communities.
(OECD Overcoming Failure in School, 1998)
Changes in Approach to Learning
Towards a seamless delivery of integrated and
co-ordinated approaches spanning four axes:

Individual

Family / Community

School

Training, further education and work
(NESF Early School Leavers , 2002)
Approaches: Individual

Literacy and Numeracy

Self-esteem and Confidence Building

Provision for special needs

Culturally appropriate education

Attainment of core competencies
Approaches: Family / Community

Addressing basic rights for food, clothing and shelter

Family support and Parenting

Effective Partnership between formal and non-formal sectors

Networking and Integrated Development

Empowerment
Approaches: School

Pre-school provision

Teaching Supports and School Resources

Tracking (incl. primary and second level transfer)

Out-of-School Support

Parental Involvement

Curriculum Flexibility

Achievement Awards

Whole School Approach
Approaches: Training, Further Education and Work

Lifelong Learning

In-Work training

Opportunities for Continuing / Second Chance Education

Education / Work Transitions

Vocational Pathways and Skills Credits

Work / Education Links
Current Interventions: Early Childhood Education

Centre for Early Childhood Education and Care

Early Start

Rutland Street Project

Traveller pre-school Education

Special Needs – Early Childhood Services
Current Interventions: Primary Level
(selective headings)

Giving Children an Even Break / Breaking the Cycle

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme

Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL)

Learning Support/ Resource Teachers

Education of Non-nationals

Book Grant Scheme

Traveller Education
Current Interventions: Second Level
(selective headings)

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme

Support Teachers/Special Needs Assistants

Home School Community Liaison Scheme (HSCL)

Learning Support/ Resource Teachers

Education of Non-nationals

Book Grant Scheme

Exam Fees Exemptions

Traveller Education

Substance Misuse Prevention
Current Interventions:
(selective headings)

School Completion Programme (Primary and Post-Primary)

National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS)

Youth

Youth Services

Senior traveller Training Centres

Youthreach
Current Interventions: Further Education
(selective headings)

Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS)

Post Leaving Certificate courses (PLCs)

Access to Third Level

Millenium Partnership Fund for Disadvantage
Current Interventions: Adult Education

Adult Literacy

Education Equality Initiative (EEI)

Community Education

Back to Education Initiative
Moving from Alleviating Educational Disadvantage
to greater Educational Equality…

There are now some 60 initiatives in place to help alleviate
Educational Disadvantage.

There is no doubt that educational standards have massively
improved throughout Ireland over the past two decades.

But questions remain as to the relative life chances afforded to
individuals and communities:


Educational achievements (depending on social class) have
remained highly differentiated.

Access to third level education remains highly differentiated.

Requirements to access jobs have increased.
Overall improvement in educational outcomes may thus not have
contributed much to alleviating education inequalities.
Assessing Outcomes:
Coombes’ Definition of Deprivation
 Relative Deprivation
“The fundamental implication of the term deprivation is of an
absence – of essential or desirable attributes, possessions and
opportunities which are considered no more than the minimum
by that society.”
(Coombes et al., 1995: p.5)
The Underlying Dimensions of Social Disadvantage
 Demographic Decline

population loss and the social and demographic effects of
prolonged population loss (age dependency, low education of
adult population)
 Social Class Deprivation

social class composition, education, housing comfort
 Labour Market Deprivation

unemployment, lone parents, low skills base
The Model of Disadvantage
d1
Age Dependency Rate
d2
Population Change
d3
Primary Education Only
d4
Third Level Education
d5
Professional Classes
d6
Persons per Room
d7
Single Parent Households
d8
Semi/Unskilled Manual Classes
d9
Male Unemployment Rate
d10
Female Unemployment Rate
Demographic
Decline
Social Class
Disadvantage
Lab. Mkt.
Deprivation
Comparison of Absolute Deprivation Scores
1991, 1996 and 2002
1600
1400
1200
1000
1991
800
1996
600
2002
400
200
0
-50 to -30 -30 to -20 -20 to -10 -10 to 0
0 to 10
10 to 20
20 to 30
30 to 50
 1991 to 2002: unprecedented growth in Ireland
 1991 – 1996: increase of +7
 1996 – 2002: increase of +8
Note: marginally narrowing shape of distribution (i.e. more equal)
Relative
Affluence
and
Deprivation
2002
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
1991
0
-50
to 30
-30
to 20
-20
to 10
-10
to 0
0 to
10
10 to 20 to 30 to
20
30
50
-50
to 30
-30
to 20
-20
to 10
-10
to 0
0 to
10
10 to 20 to 30 to
20
30
50
-50
to 30
-30
to 20
-20
to 10
-10
to 0
0 to
10
10 to 20 to 30 to
20
30
50
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
1996
0
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
2002
0
Haase & Pratschke 2003
Trutz Haase
Social & Economic Consultant
Comparison of Relative Deprivation Scores
1991, 1996 and 2002
 For the country as a whole:
Virtually no differences in the distribution of relative
deprivation 1991-2002
 Only Exception:

Dublin’s Inner City
The report Deprivation and its Spatial Articulation in the Republic of Ireland
can be downloaded from the following web address:
http://www.pobal.ie/media/Deprivationanditsspatialarticulation.pdf
Deprivation – Educational Equality and
Intergenerational Class Mobility

To substantially enhance the intergenerational class mobility and educational
equality will require a fundamental restructuring of the Irish educational system,
notably a shift from the high expenditure on third level education towards
greater expenditure at pre-school and primary levels.

The current initiatives in adult and community-based education are not only
important in as much as they provide second chance education for cohorts that
have been failed by the education system in the past,
 they also constitute important services to communities and families where it
is of utmost importance to enhance school retention amongst the next
school-going generation, and
 if properly evaluated, can provide the necessary pointers how to reform the
mainstream education system in such a way as to make it more attractive
and accommodating for those who are currently at risk of not achieving their
full educational potential.
The Back to Education Initiative: Intent

The BTEI will make a major contribution to building the capacity of the formal
education sector to meet the changing needs of individuals, communities and
society. This will only happen if a clear agenda for change in how the initiative is
perceived, planned, delivered and evaluated is implemented from the outset.

The top priorities of the BTEI part time programme are to address:
 The low literacy levels of the Irish adult population;
 The large numbers of Irish adults (1.1.m aged 15-64) who have not completed
upper second-level education, of whom 529,600 have not completed lower
second-level;
 The inflexibility of the Irish education system, with its predominant emphasis
on full-time provision: time specific entry and exit opportunities;
 The difficulties in combining family, personal and work responsibilities with
learning opportunities;
(DE&S: Circular Letter ‘Back to Education Initiative, 2002)
Key Challenges in the Delivery and Evaluation of
Adult and Community-based Education



The immense variety in the Projects with regard to:

the target groups involved

the kind of disadvantage(s) experienced

the contexts within which the projects operate
The generally local focus of the Projects involved:

Projects tend to be overwhelmed by the task they face

Projects tend to focus on the innovative delivery of services but
more emphasis is needed for the systematic evaluation of their work
in a comparative setting
Evaluation will be of utmost importance in an environment based
on increasingly evidence-based policy formulation.
Key Questions that have (largely) been addressed
1.
How do we define educational disadvantage and what is its relationship
to wider social and economic inequalities?
2.
Which social groups are facing particular barriers to education and suffer
as a result of this?
3.
What are the specific needs of each of these groups and with regard to
each educational setting?
4.
What strategies can be devised to assist these groups in overcoming the
barriers to education?
Strategies (general)
Enhancing Access (Access, Skills, Confidence, Awareness)
Outreach work
Initial learning activities
Improved Delivery (Content, Participation, Certification)
Content relevance
Flexible provision
Availability of skilled tutors
Multiple Intelligence approach
Accreditation
Support Services
Guidance
Transport
Allowances
Creche facilities / elder care
Literacy
Language tuition
(Note: List only indicative, not meant to be comprehensive)
The Paths towards Greater Educational Inclusion
Low SES
Access
Difficult family
situations
Pre-school and Primary
Education
Secondary Education
Skills
Further Education
Disabilities
Confidence
Ethnic minorities
Travellers
Target Groups
Awareness
Dimensions to be addressed
Community –based / Adult
Education
Lifelong Learning
Educational Institutions and
Strategies re Access,
Delivery & Support Structures
Key Questions that need to be addressed now

How can we measure improvements in access to education in the context
of the existing initiatives?

How can we measure advances in terms of access to the labour market /
access to information / improvements in quality of life as a result of
participation in the projects/initiatives?

What lessons can be learned from the projects/initiatives in order to
improve the access of these groups to mainstream (adult) education
provision?

How can auditing mechanisms be devised for the equality-proofing of
wider (adult) education measures?