Recent Press Releases from the
Department of Education and Science:

13 June, 2003
Síle De Valera T.D. officially opens St. Martin’s Pre-School for Traveller Children, Orchard Grove, Gort Road, Ennis.

Speaking at the official opening of St. Martin’s Pre-School for Traveller Children, at Orchard Grove, Gort Road, Ennis, Minister De Valera paid tribute to the commitment of the Board of Management for its efforts in finding a new home for the Pre-School Centre at Orchard Grove.

The Minister said “The 51 Pre-schools for Travellers are an excellent example of a community led approach to tackling the issue of educational disadvantage. I am pleased to say that my Department funds 98% of teaching and transport costs in the 51 pre-schools for Travellers and also provides grants for equipment and materials at an annual cost in excess of €1.25 million. Additional funding is also provided by other Government departments and statutory bodies”.

Early education has a crucial role to play in tackling the problems of educational disadvantage and social exclusion, the Minister said. She highlighted the contribution made by Traveller Pre-Schools such as St. Martin’s in creating a disposition to learn among children by developing social skills and behaviour patterns that will facilitate their integration into a formal education environment.

The Minister pointed to some of the supports provided by the Department of Education and Science that are designed to constitute a continuum of provision for members of the Travelling community from pre-school to third level. These include special resource teachers for Traveller children attending ordinary primary schools, the Visiting Teacher for Travellers Service, additional capitation grants for primary and second level schools in respect of Traveller children, and additional teaching hours for second level schools based on the number of Traveller children enrolled.

In officially opening the new centre, Minister DeValera said “Intervention at pre-school helps to give Traveller children a greater chance of fulfilling their potential in society, I hope that everyone involved in St. Martin’s continues to display that same level of determination and commitment in the years ahead. For my part, I look forward to working with you in the future in the fight against social exclusion among the Traveller community”.

National Evaluation Report on Pre-School for Travellers

14 May, 2003
Minister for Education and Science launches intercultural education guidelines

Noel Dempsey T.D., Minister for Education and Science, today launched new guidelines for second-level schools on intercultural education. The guidelines were published jointly by the Joint Managerial Body for voluntary secondary schools and the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools. They grew from the work of Learning for Young Minority Ethnic Students (LYNS), a small pilot project on school-based issues arising from the increasing numbers of minority ethnic students attending second level schools.

Speaking at the launch in Buswells Hotel, Minister Dempsey congratulated the JMB and ACS for having the foresight to establish this support and networking initiative for their schools at a time when the multi-ethnic issues were providing many new challenges to school management and teaching staff. “The two organisations have recognised the new challenges to schools and have taken a lead in exploring the potential of those challenges to enrich the lives and schooling of all students, not only those from the cultures now among us,” he said.

Acknowledging that Ireland is evolving from a largely monocultural state into an increasingly multi-ethnic one, the Minister stressed the importance of the role to be played by the education system in shaping the values and practices of our 21st century society. “If the LYNS guidelines for schools can play any part in the development of an intercultural ethos within our schools, leading to inclusion by design and not by chance, they will be contributing not only to an education system, and ultimately to a society, that no longer sees the problems that difference can bring, but rejoices in its riches,” he concluded.

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