The Delivering Equality Of Opportunity In Schools Analysis

The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools, or DEIS strategy, introduced in 2005, aimed to focus on inequalities in education in disadvantaged areas in Ireland. This strategy, which has remained almost unchanged since its introduction, was placed under review in 2015 by the Minister for Education and Skills. In the time since DEIS was implemented, Ireland has undergone vast cultural, social and economic change. As outlined by Callinan (2015), in the IMPACT DEIS Review Consultation Submission, between 2008 and 2011, the number of children at risk of experiencing poverty and/or social exclusion rose greatly. Ireland documented the greatest increase in Europe, recording an increase of +11.0 percentage points on the AROPE indicator. Despite
The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014-2020, Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, outlines five national outcomes for children and young people in Ireland, one of which aims for children to be “achieving their full potential in all areas of learning and development” (p.4). Arts education, an essential part of the primary school curriculum should therefore be considered an area of learning and development that children should be aiming to reach their full potential in. This policy framework even goes so far as to explicitly mention arts education in one of its aims, suggesting that children should be “enjoying play, recreation, sports, arts, culture and nature” (Aim 1.4, p.55). The DEIS strategy is grounded in belief that “every child deserves an equal chance to access, participate in and benefit from education.” (2005, p. 7). All children in Ireland are entitled to the provision of all aspects of education, which includes the arts, regardless of the type of
The EU Council Recommendation on Policies to Reduce Early School Leaving (2011) suggests that one possible intervention “extra-curricular activities … and artistic, cultural and sport activities can raise the self-esteem of pupils at risk [of early school leaving] and increase their resilience against difficulties in their learning.” For students in situations of poverty and social exclusion, increasing self-esteem is of vital importance to overcoming learning difficulties and to prevent early school leaving. The arts can provide opportunities for children to flourish in less academic areas, where there is essentially no wrong answer, reducing a fear of failure. Increases in self-esteem can also promote positive attitudes towards school and a willingness and desire to learn. Furthermore, areas such as drama and music provide great opportunities for collaborative learning and group work, which encourages the building of relationships with