OECD Review of Resourcing Schools to Address Educational Disadvantage in Ireland

Annex C. Visit programme

The review team identified stakeholder groups with whom to meet via consultation with the national coordination team, soliciting the input from various stakeholders and a desk review of key educational institutions in Ireland. The review team conducted a preliminary visit and a main visit.

The preliminary visit was undertaken online. It consisted of approximately 20 interviews with representatives from almost 30 education partners, representative groups/non‑governmental organisations (NGOs) and academics. A representative from the European Commission (co-funding the review) joined some of the interviews. The preliminary visit informed the plans for the main visit. It consisted of five main aims:

• Discuss the key education issues that should be addressed by the review team;

• Identify the major stakeholder groups and key individuals that the review team should meet;

• Identify institutions and organisations that the review team should consult;

• Identify schools that the review team should see during the main review visit; and

• Discuss logistical issues and map out a broad schedule for the main review visit.

The interviews were conducted between 27 June and 26 July 2023. Table C.1 outlines further details of the visit and schedule.

Table C.1. Preliminary visit schedule

Date and time	Education partner, representative group, NGO, academia
27 June 2023
16:30-17:30	Teachers' Union of Ireland
28 June
14:30-15:30	Educate Together Joint Managerial Body
16:00-17:00	Irish Second Level Student's Union
29 June
10:30-11:30	Economic and Social Research Institute
16:00-17:00	Pavee Point Travellers Centre Irish Traveller Movement National Traveller Women's Forum
30 June
10:00-11:00	Irish National Teachers’ Organisation Dublin City University, Institute of Education
3 July
10:30-11:30	National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals
14:30-15:30	Education and Training Boards Ireland
4 July
10:00-11:00	Board of Education - Church of Ireland
11:15-12:15	Social Justice Ireland
16:00-17:00	Educational Research Centre Economic and Social Research Institute
7 July
10:30-11:30	Muslim Primary Education Board Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education
16:00-17:00	Barnardos Children's Rights Alliance University of Galway, School of Education
19 July
15:00-16:00	Irish Primary Principals' Network St Vincent de Paul
20 July
15:00-16:00	Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland University College Dublin, School of Education
26 July
15:00-16:00	National Parents Council

The main visit, undertaken between 18 and 22 September 2023, consisted of 11 interviews with stakeholders from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Department of Education, Department of Education’s Inspectorate, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Department of Social Protection, Department of the Taoiseach, National Educational Psychological Service, Social Inclusion Unit of the Department of Education, and Tulsa Education Support Service. A representative from the European Commission also attended the interviews. Table C.2 outlines further details of the visit and schedule.

Furthermore, the review team, in collaboration with the Department of Education, selected six (public) schools for visit. The schools were chosen with the aim to maximise diversity in terms of their setting (e.g. urban and rural), their student body (e.g. size and socio-economic composition) and other characteristics (level of education, school performance, etc.), while taking into account constraints imposed by the main visit schedule. The criteria for the selection of public schools were the following:

• Different geographical locations (counties and rural/urban locations);

• Different school levels (primary, post-primary (Junior Cycle and Senior Cycle));

• Diverse student populations (Traveller and Roma students enrolment rates, foreign student population rates, students with special educational needs rates, and all boys/all girls/mixed schools);

• Varying retention rates/early school leaving rates/transition rates;

• Different types of DEIS schools (DEIS Urban Band 1, DEIS Urban Band 2, DEIS Rural and DEIS Post-primary);

• Different lengths of participation in the DEIS programme;

• At least one non-DEIS school;

• At least one Education Training Board school; and

• Schools that are representative of the average situation encountered in the country.

The review team met with principals, teachers, other school staff, parents and students in each school.

Table C.2. Main visit schedule

Date and time	Department/school
18 September 2023
10:45	Meeting with the Social Inclusion Unit, Department of Education, with: Two Principal Officers Two Assistant Principal Officers
14:30	Meeting with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth with: Assistant Secretary Principal Officer Assistant Principal Officer
16:30	Meeting in the Department of the Taoiseach, with: Principal Officer, Child Poverty and Wellbeing Programme Office Principal Officer, Social Policy
19 September
8:30	Visit to Lucan Community College (non-DEIS post-primary), County Dublin
11:00	Visit to Scoil Áine Naofa (non-DEIS primary), County Dublin
14:00	Meeting with Principal Officer, Special Education Needs Policy, Department of Education
15:00	Meeting with Chief Inspector, Department of Education Inspectorate and Assistant Chief Inspector, Department of Education
16:00	Meeting with the Tulsa Education Support Service, including: Director National Manager (Home School Community Liaison Scheme) Children First and Service Development Manager National Manager (School Completion Programme) School Completion Programme Continuous Professional Development Manager Integrated Services Manager Regional Manager
20 September
9:00	Visit to Corpus Christi Primary School, Moyross, Limerick (DEIS Urban Band 1)
12:30	Visit to Thomond Community College Moylish Park, Moylish, Co Limerick (DEIS Post‑primary)
21 September
10:00	Visit to Scoil Mhuire Pullough, Rahan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly (DEIS Rural)
14:00	Meeting with Assistant Principal Officer, School Meals Programme Office, Department of Social Protection
15:00	Meeting with Assistant Principal Officer, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Unit, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
16:00	Meeting with Department of Education with: Principal Officer, Teacher Education Primary Teacher Education Inspector Post-primary Teacher Education Inspector Representative from Oide
22 September
9:00	Meeting with the National Educational Psychological Service: Director Regional Director Principal Officer
10:30	Visit to St David’s Boy’s National School, Kilmore Road, Artane, Dublin (DEIS Urban Band 2)

References

[3] Cerna, L. et al. (2021), “Promoting inclusive education for diverse societies: A conceptual framework”, OECD Education Working Papers, No. 260, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/94ab68c6-en.

[2] OECD (2023), Equity and Inclusion in Education: Finding Strength through Diversity, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/e9072e21-en.

[1] OECD (2019), The Road to Integration: Education and Migration, OECD Reviews of Migrant Education, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/d8ceec5d-en.