'We can't ask parents for money they don't have'

The boys at St Francis national school for boys, just off Patrick Street in Dublin, "love coming to school".

"When we come to school we get to play football and go on trips. We go to the country and go kayaking. I love PE," says Ross Carroll (9).

Matthew Dempsey (9) says his teacher is "very nice and kind and helps me", while several other boys shoot up their hands excitedly when asked about the breakfast club.

"It's brilliant," says one 11-year-old. "You get free food - toast, sausages, fruit."

All of the eight boys who spoke to The Irish Timesyesterday had ambitions to finish secondary school, with careers as a footballer, a doctor, a garda, a pilot and an actor planned. All said they liked school, mainly, it seemed, because of the facilities, the break from home, which was "boring", and because friends were there.

"School is a different world for them," says principal Fiona Collins.

The school - with 129 pupils - took part in the Count Us In study and is included in the Department of Education's DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity In Schools) scheme.

Though the school has been able to do "lovely things" with funding, says Ms Collins - providing interactive technology, arts projects, swimming, basketball and kick-boxing, as well as trips outside Dublin, she points out the lack of sports pitches and gym hall.

"And I need more resource teachers. Half the pupils have learning difficulties." She has 1.3 resource teachers. While the department funds three psychological assessments per year - required to identify a child as needing resource assistance - the school must fund the rest, at €350 each.

"We can't ask the parents for money, they just don't have it. Most struggle to pay for books and the uniform."