Education in Craigavon gets £0.5 million boost - Ritchie

Minister for Social Development, Margaret Ritchie MLA, today announced a further funding boost of £500,000 for education programmes in deprived areas of Craigavon.

The funding will provide a range of intervention measures aimed at improving the educational attainment of children living in Neighbourhood Renewal Areas.

The projects, developed in conjunction with the Southern Regional College and the Southern Education and Library Board, include a wide range of measures aimed at assisting children of all ages, achieve their full educational potential and future employment prospects.

Margaret Ritchie said, “We must tackle the long term spiral of deprivation through improving the life chances of our children. Regardless of their background, children must be given the opportunity to achieve their full potential.  These educational programmes will help achieve this.”

“We must break the cycle whereby children born into poverty are much more likely to develop into underachieving young people or unemployed adults.  There are still too many people who continue to experience unacceptable inequalities in education and employment.  I am determined to break down these barriers and invest in their educational future.”

Consultation was held with local community groups, schools, youth groups as a response to educational need in the Partnership areas. The programme includes a range of measures aimed at analysing and addressing the causes of poor educational attainment in deprived areas. It will fund activities such as after school clubs, reading recovery programmes and youth engagement projects.

Margaret Ritchie concluded, “My Department’s Neighbourhood Renewal funding is an excellent means of complementing innovative programmes which will make a difference for those living in deprived areas. I would like to pay tribute to the Lurgan, Portadown and Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal Partnerships who endorsed these programmes for regenerating these areas.”

Today’s funding announcement will bring the total investment in education in the Craigavon area to £1,338,000.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy 'People and Place' was published in June 2003 to close the gap between the quality of life for people in the most deprived neighbourhoods and the rest of society.

2. The Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy has four interlinking strategic objectives:

• Community Renewal - to develop confident communities that are able and committed to improving the quality of life in their areas.
• Economic Renewal - to develop economic activity in the most deprived neighbourhoods and connect them to the wider urban economy.
• Social Renewal - to improve social conditions for the people who live in the most deprived neighbourhoods through better co-ordinated public services and the creation of safer environments.
• Physical Renewal - to help create attractive, safe and sustainable environments in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

3. Media enquiries to DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9078.  Out of office hours please contact the Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned.