The DEIS programme as a policy aimed at combating educational disadvantage: fit for purpose?

Existing research in the area of educational disadvantage in the Irish context is located either within the historiography of policy in the area or in contemporary macro analysis of dominant trends. The existing canon of research tells us that prolonged periods of unemployment and poorer health outcomes are features of early school leavers, that the educational experience of young people are reflected in their future life trajectories, and that inter-generational transmission is common. While broader macro analysis is fundamental in informing policy, context-specific research is also critical in shaping the policy trajectory and policy implementation. This article provides for the first time in Irish post-primary education an in-depth examination of the experience of existing policy in six case study schools, as articulated through the voices of school leaders, teachers, parents and pupils. The focus here is on the adequacy or otherwise of the resources provided under the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) programme in light of the particular challenges those school communities face. Clear evidence emerges that not only are the resources inadequate but that mechanisms are in place in the state’s funding of post-primary schools to ensure the perpetuation of educational disadvantage.