"JUSTICE is particularly evident in the area of education. A child from an unemployed family, even with a good Leaving Cert, has very little chance of going on to third level education.

"Even at the earlier stage, if a child shows enthusiasm for learning you cannot really nurture it to the extent it deserves. You are not in a financial position to do so. You are beaten before you start. For a parent, looking at this is heartbreaking. The children soon switch off, realising that this is not for them, through no fault of their own or of their parents. They see the playing surface is uneven.

This was written by the members of a faith and justice group based in Cherry Orchard, Dublin.

They say that their area is almost unique in Dublin in having no school of any kind in the parish. Children have to travel up to 1.8 miles to get to primary or second level schools. Free transport would be provided if the distance was two miles. The group claims that over £70,000 leaves the area each year in payments by parents for private school buses.

The Cherry Orchard area encompasses Raheen/Cloverhill, Gallanstown, Elmdale and Croftwood. There are about 1,100 houses, with an estimated population of 5,600. Up to 50 per cent of the population is claiming unemployment assistance or benefit. Those who are working are mainly in semi skilled and unskilled employment. It is estimated that over 50 per cent of the population has left school by the age of 15.

Gallanstown is probably best known for the "riots" last Hallowe'en. However Cherry Orchard is also a place of hope with a strong community spirit. Residents have fought hard to establish a community identity and the Bungalows Resource Centre and the Orchard Community Centre are giving a new focus to the area. The publication of One city, Two Tiers by the Faith and Justice Group probably marks a new departure in the area, with people articulating their needs clearly.

The importance of education was undisputed among the group of mothers gathered in the Bungalow. They were all united in their determination that their children would at last get to the Junior Cert, and, if possible, to the Leaving Cert. A major obstacle seems to be the cost of "free education", although complex social issues, such as attitudes to education and lack of role models, also play a part.

Margaret, a lone parent, with two children in primary and one in second level, says that she has to manage on £98 a week. She pays £6 a week in bus fares for the younger two and her 14 year old walks "quite a distance" to school. Linda says that even if the school is only open for two or three days, they must pay for the full week. A number of the mothers say that they keep their children at home on these part weeks.

At one stage, Linda had five children going to school. "The three lads had to walk because there wasn't enough money. My four and five year olds went on the bus. There was terrible jealousy. My seven year old would go so far down the road and it would be lashing rain and he wouldn't want to go any further. Then, he'd be sitting in school in wet clothes all day."

As well as bus fares, the cost of uniforms and books is prohibitive. "September is the time of year I dread... My stomach feels sick at the thought. It can cost up to £300 in books and uniforms. The welfare payment of £40 for a primary school child and £50 for a second level child doesn't cover it... First year books cost £100. Last year, it was £60," she says. Next year, there will be exam fees to pay and exam papers to buy.

Diana has five children - two left school at 15 and the other three are still in school. She also dreads September. "You have to borrow and beg. It hangs over you until Christmas... like an ongoing thing."

Marion says that another reason for children not going to school is the lack of food. They might have no breakfast and no money for lunch. Linda explains that her two "small ones" don't have lunch every day. The money may have run out by Thursday. In primary school, pupils get milk and a sandwich or bun, but at second level they get nothing.

Another problem highlighted by the women was the cost of extra materials for practical classes.

Loreto remembers her daughter coming home and looking for a fillet of chicken for her home economics class. "I would think that they should buy the chicken and show them how to fillet it. They should be teaching budget management. A lot of children don't go to school on the day home economics is on. If you go to the school, they'll tell you it's a meal home to eat, but it's not the kind of meal we'd eat normally."

The suggestion was made that the transfer from primary to second level school was very traumatic for many youngsters. They now had to deal with eight or more teachers instead of one. Loreto says that having the Transition Year in first year, rather than fourth, would make sense as many of the local children drop out of school before they do their Junior Certificate. An induction year might help them to adjust better to second level.

The women were also critical of the home school liaison service, which they says is mostly school based,

"I don't think it's working. They should be coming into the homes. The only time they come to the homes is if there's trouble," says Margaret. She says it's too far to walk down to the school, with a pram and a baby crying beside you.

However, it's not all bad news. The Department of Education has sanctioned the building of a primary school in Cherry Orchard which will cater for pupils up to second class. The women are pleased at this development but would like to see a full primary school in the area, or free transport provided.

A spokesman for the Department of Education says that the school is at an early stage of planning and that it is primarily aimed at catering for the pre school needs through the development of Early Start. Provision is under review, but there are schools in the Ballyfermot area with the room to cater for pupils from Cherry Orchard, says the spokesman.

Most of the mothers present had left school early, without any qualifications but, attending the Bungalow, which was established by the Daughters of Charity in 1990, has meant that many have continued their education through courses such as literacy, self development and assertiveness. They are aware of the benefits of education both for career prospects and as a means of countering the problems in the area.

Indeed, one of the mothers asserted that the recent troubles that she'd seen stem from a lack of education. If determination alone can succeed, the children of these women will stay in school until Leaving Cert.