A MORE radical approach to dealing with educational disadvantage has been called for by the conference of Religious of Ireland (CORI). The group education commission was responding to recent initiatives by the Minister for Education for schools dealing with disadvantaged children.
Welcoming "many aspects" of the Minister's announcement, it described it as an "important but still inadequate response" to what is "one of the most glaring injustices in contemporary society - the education system's failure to meet the needs of students who are poor and marginalised".
It suggested that extra resources and teachers were not adequate to deal with the situation. What was needed was "changed teacher behaviour". School based schemes needed to be part of an integrated package of anti poverty measures.
It also criticised the present curriculum which "fails to recognise many human abilities and other qualities". It believed the exam system had "a huge and largely negative impact" on schools.
