School scheme is ‘punishing poverty’, says principal

Stormont’s Department of Education (DE) is “punishing poverty and rewarding wealth” in a brand new scheme to deal with underachievement, a college principal has stated.

Pilib Mistéil, of Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh in Ballymurphy in west Belfast stated his college and a few others within the space had not been named as eligible for cash from the RAISE programme.

It is a brand new £20m scheme to assist tackle academic underachievement and deal with academic drawback.

Numerous research have advised that kids from poorer backgrounds do much less effectively in class.

The DE stated the record was recognized taking seven indicators into consideration, and it will proceed to be refined.

Partially funded by the Irish authorities’s Shared Island Fund, RAISE guarantees a “whole community” strategy to scale back academic drawback.

It was launched on Wednesday by Education Minister Paul Givan and his Irish authorities counterpart Norma Foley.

More than 400 faculties in 15 areas throughout Northern Ireland had been recognized as being eligible for funding from the scheme.

The record revealed by the DE included virtually 40 grammar faculties and a prep college, the place dad and mom usually pay charges for his or her kids to attend.

West Belfast incorporates a few of the most disadvantaged council wards in Northern Ireland.

About 60% of Bunscoil an tSléibhe Dhuibh’s pupils are entitled to free college meals, however Mr Mistéil stated numerous different dad and mom of pupils had been “very close” to being eligible totally free college meals.

“We can’t understand how a school like this – a fabulous school, an outstanding school – that needs funding with 60% plus free school meals is in competition with prep schools, fee-paying schools, grammar schools and schools with as little as 5% free school meals,” he informed BBC News NI.

“It’s a fantastic place to live in and to work in and we’re very privileged to work here.

“But it has its challenges, and it is principally to do with the socio-economic problem individuals would have.”

A spokesperson for the DE said a range of data and seven indicators were chosen to identify the localities in which the programme would operate.

“The indicators cowl GCSE attainment, pupil absence, the prevalence of particular academic wants and free college meals entitlement,” they said.

“They additionally embrace crime and anti-social behaviour incidents and two Northern Ireland a number of deprivation measure indicators on revenue deprivation affecting kids and well being deprivation & incapacity,” they continued.

The department also said the list “will probably be refined” as they continue to engage with the education sector and other stakeholders.

Mr Mistéil said the aim of the RAISE project was to “goal underachievement in schooling, which is a topical topic on the minute”.

“The distinction with this one is that they’ve modified the parameters,” he stated.

“We are one in every of three faculties on this space that will not get the RAISE as a result of we’re not entitled to it.”

Mr Mistéil said he felt the school’s omission was “not a mistake.”

“This is fairly a deliberate act on behalf of the Department of Education and the minister to re-allocate funds to areas that will want it, however they’re punishing poverty and rewarding wealth,” he said.

Mr Mistéil also said he felt the school was being discriminated against, and appealed to Givan and the department to change approach.

“Our understanding is quite simple,” he stated.

“It’s slicing funding from those that want it.”

“We cannot make sense of it.”

BBC News NI has contacted the DE for comment.

In the list of published schools, the department said the list “may be subject to change” and that “the fact that a school is omitted does not mean it cannot be involved in the programme”.