BREAKING THE CYCLE is a Department of Education initiative designed to provide "intensive support to selected urban and rural schools whose pupils have been identified as experiencing particularly acute levels of educational disadvantage". It will operate over a five year period.

Urban phase:

The 25 urban schools selected from 190 applicants will get:

. extra staff to ensure that all infants, first and second level classes have a maximum of 15 pupils;

. special grant assistance for the purchase of books, teaching materials and equipment;

. targeted in career development for teachers;

. an enhanced capitation rate of £75 per pupil (the standard is £45).

Maura Grant, principal of Scoil Mhuire, Blakestown, Dublin, has been appointed to co ordinate the urban scheme.

Criteria for selection of large urban schools are the number of pupils:

1 from a family in which the main breadwinner has been unemployed for a year or more;

2 whose family holds a medical card;

3 living in a rented local authority house or flat;

4 living in a lone parent household;

5 whose mothers did not take at least the Group or Inter Cert exam;

6 whose fathers did not take at least the Group or Inter Cert exam.

A further eight schools were selected because they serve the same population - usually the senior primary schools where the junior school is one of the 25. These were included to "ensure consistency and continuity of support for the families in question".

Rural phase

The rural phase of the programme will involve 118 schools in 25 cluster areas. Schools with fewer than five teachers and, particularly, schools which serve dispersed areas of disadvantage, were targeted.

. Each school will receive up to £1,000 for teaching and learning material and equipment.

. Schools will also receive up to £1,000 to support local initiatives aimed at countering educational disadvantage.

(The actual amounts will be based on submissions submitted by local schools and clusters.)

. The enhanced £75 capitation grant will be paid per pupil.

. Each cluster will be served by a co ordinator who wall work with families and teachers in the selected area to combat the effects of educational disadvantage.

. There will be targeted in career development for teachers, to help them draw up a five year plan for the school.

Criteria for selection of small rural schools are the number of pupils:

1 (a) from a family in which the main breadwinner has been unemployed for a year or more;

(b) from a family in receipt of assistance because of limited means from farm incomes;

2 whose family holds a medical card;

3 in a lone parent household;

4 whose mothers did not take at least the Group or Inter Cert exam

5 whose fathers did not take at least the Group or Inter Cert exam.