Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 November 2014
891. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that children who cannot attend a recognised school and are not receiving education at home and are too young for Youthreach; the methods used to cater to these students' education needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41502/14]
View answerThe Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The EWS may be able to offer assistance and advice on securing a school placement within the pupil's area. The contact details for the EWS Child and Family Agency Head Office, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7, phone number 01-8738700.
Where students have Special Educational Needs, the Deputy will also be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support these students. It is also the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish special classes in schools in communities where the need for such classes has been identified, and also to consider and manage applications from schools to establish special classes including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required.
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of an Educational Training Board (ETB) school to the ETB in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more days in any school year. This Department has no authority to compel a school to admit a pupil, except in the case of an appeal under section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 being upheld.
My Department operates a number of home tuition schemes for children without a school place. Home tuition is intended as an interim provision only for children for whom a placement is not available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a place in school.
My Department operates a Home Tuition Scheme, the purpose of which is to provide a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme also provides a compensatory educational service for children with special needs awaiting an educational placement and for early intervention for children with autism. The preferred approach is that, where possible, children with special educational needs are educated in school settings where they may have access to individualised education programmes, fully-qualified professional teachers, special needs assistants, the appropriate school curriculum with the option, where possible and appropriate, of full or partial integration and interaction with other pupils.
A Home Tuition Scheme for children who do not have a school place and are without the offer of a school place and for whom a school place is being actively sought is also operated by my Department. This scheme requires a section of the application form to be completed by an Educational Welfare Officer (EWO) who is an officer of the EWS of the Child and Family Agency, to confirm that the child is without a school place. Application forms for this scheme are available from the EWO.
Finally, my Department operates a home tuition scheme for female students who are enrolled in a recognised school at post primary level studying at junior or senior cycle and whose education may be disrupted due to pregnancy. Application forms for this scheme are available on my Departments website.
