The Government was warned today that the goodwill of the main players in educating children from disadvantaged areas may turn to cynicism if more is not done to support them.
Based on her research project, Achieving Equality in Children's Education, Dr Katherine Zappone said the parents and teachers who working to end the inequalities in education, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of State resources and Government involvemt at local level.
Dr Zappone, who conducted the research on behalf of the Educational Disadvantage Centre in St Patrick’s College, Dromcondra, said the level of unqualified teachers in schools with disadvantaged status was also a major concern.
The Government must act before those teaching the disadvantaged become disillusioned, Dr Zappone told the Forum on Primary Education: Ending Disadvantage which is being held in St Patrick’s this week. "They may not hang in there," she warned.
The research also revealed the damaging affect Ireland’s recent economic growth has had on children’s relationship with their parents.
As the number of families with both parents working rises, children were concerned that their parents were not around, not only to help with homework but also to spend time with them, Dr Zappone said.
Time was also an issue with teachers, as children said teachers often did not have not time to talk to pupils as individuals as they had too much work trying to get through the curriculum.
"[Children felt] teachers did not have time to give one-to-one attention to pupils. Not just to give extra help with learning but to give them an extra ear also," said Dr Zappone.
Dr Zappone called on the Government to tackle the growing social inequalities and variances in the quality of education received by children from different social backgrounds.
She criticised the Government’s centralised control on education where players at local levels had no input. The Education Department not only needs to set up a regional presence but also to work with the local players to establish the real needs of communities, she said.
The research, which involved over 260 school children, 200 teachers and education professionals, and 200 parents, was conducted in 17 schools across the Republic.