Some 30 per cent of children in poorer areas continue to have serious reading difficulties, according to the largest survey of reading conducted in primary schools.
The survey, to be launched by the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, next week, finds the average performance of children in poorer areas is showing no sign of improvement.
It finds the gap between children in disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged schools has not been closed, despite a plethora of Government initiatives and the introduction of a new primary school curriculum.
The report from the Education Research Centre at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, signals that measures to raise standards among poor children need to be stepped up substantially. The situation is broadly unchanged since a 1999 report found that over 30 per cent of children in poorer areas had severe literacy difficulties.
The report surveyed the reading levels of first and fifth class in 150 primary school, the first assessment of standards since the introduction of the new curriculum in 1999. Broadly, it finds that about 10 per cent of all pupils are at the lowest literacy level.
But more than three times this number endure serious reading difficulties in poorer areas. In some schools, up to 50 per cent of pupils have serious literacy problems.
While low literacy levels are common in poorer areas, overall literacy standards remain high among most primary pupils. This is despite changes in children's leisure habits, including increased television viewing and use of computer games.
The centre is also finalising a report on maths at primary level which says that standards have broadly remained the same since the introduction of the new curriculum.
There were fears that the extra subjects in the new curriculum and less time for maths would lead to lower standards but there is no evidence of this.
However, the report will show that teachers in primary schools spend more time on teaching maths than the minimum time recommended for the subject in the curriculum.
The reports on reading and maths do not compare the achievement of Irish students with other OECD states.
Last year, the department was criticised when it refused to co-operate with two major international surveys of literacy, numeracy and science levels among Irish 10-year-olds, despite concerns about standards in some schools.
The department has signalled it will not take part in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, even though this could provide the first opportunity since 1992 to assess how Irish primary standards compare internationally.
The department has also signalled its unease about taking part in the Trends in International Maths and Science Survey. The department last co-operated with this survey in 1995.
The new figures come as the Department of Education prepares to roll out its new strategy on educational disadvantage, Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools. On foot of various expert reports, this is designed to provide a more coherent and targeted approach to the problem.
It is expected that over 600 primary schools will be designated as disadvantaged under the scheme. This will open the way for these schools to receive greater supports and to lower class size. A new literacy effort, known as the Reading Recovery Programme, will also be extended to 50 schools selected from among the 150 most disadvantaged.
Introduced in 1999, the new primary curriculum introduced a broader range of subjects, including science and social, personal and health education.
