The Minister for Education, Mr Martin, is to be commended for his initiative, announced last week, to invest £57 million in a concerted effort to combat educational disadvantage. It is a quantum leap with regard to educational funding in this area and a reassuring signal that this Government wants to share the fruits of our economic success equally. The Minister's proposals include plans to employ 450 new teachers in remedial and other disadvantaged areas, a substantial increase in adult literacy funding and almost £7 million to promote access to third-level. For the first time, according to the Minister, a remedial teaching service will be available to every school and a special home/school liaison service will be provided for every disadvantaged school.
In truth, the Government is making up for lost time. While our current economic wellbeing derives in large measure from our well-regarded education system, it is also the case that the system has failed to break the cycle of deprivation in many communities in this State. Indeed, as the Taoiseach acknowledged last week, the evidence would now suggest that urban poverty is actually deepening in many areas.
There are, in every town and city in this State, young disadvantaged children and their teachers struggling to cope in large classes without the kind of remedial and other supports they need. There are children waiting for months for an appointment with an educational psychologist. More than one-in-six school leavers cannot complete even the most basic literacy tasks. There are in the bleak, urban estates, children who rarely attend school or drop out at a very young age. Three times as many children have severe reading difficulties in deprived city areas than in the rest of the State.
Education alone will not provide a remedy for all of society's ills. But it is equally certain that the grim cycle of deprivation will recur - unless we adopt the kind of interventionist approach that Mr Martin is planning. The Breaking the Cycle initiative at primary school level shows what can be achieved when designated schools in disadvantaged areas are targeted for additional staff and resources. The latest initiative builds on this approach, although its emphasis is on all areas of the education system and on assistance for all schools. While this is laudatory, there must be concern that the funding will be evenly spread across the State instead of being specifically targeted at those areas of particular disadvantage.
The increase in funding for adult literacy - £3.2 million will be allocated for the next two years - is especially welcome. The National Adult Literacy Agency estimates that some 500,000 Irish adults have severe difficulties in reading and writing. This astonishing statistic underlines the scale of educational disadvantage and the chasm that exists between the well-educated and confident in our society and those who have memories of an education system unsympathetic to their needs. The robust state of the economy means that Mr Martin has an opportunity to ensure that the next generation will not look back in anger at their educational experience. It is to be hoped that this initiative is but the first step towards a world-class education system - for all of our citizens.