Written Answers Nos. 241-265
241. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will engage with third-level colleges and universities that have to date failed to refund some students for their prepaid student accommodation not now being used; if he will request that students be fully refunded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8995/20]
View answerThe University of Limerick has now confirmed that students who have vacated their university-owned student accommodation will be refunded from the date they vacated their student residences. Along with the refunds previously announced by the other Universities, this means that all students in university-owned accommodation will receive pro-rata refunds if they have vacated their accommodation.
Students should contact their accommodation providers directly for details on how their refund will be facilitated.
242. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he is considering the re-opening of small schools that offer tailored programmes for autistic children and children with other special needs prior to September 2020 in order that structured face-to-face learning for these children can recommence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8996/20]
View answerOn 1 May 2020, the Government published a roadmap to ease Covid-19 restrictions and reopen Ireland’s economy and society.
To assist with the development of contingency plans for the re-opening and operation of schools, including special schools, in an environment that may require social distancing and other public health requirements, my Department will be engaging with relevant stakeholders and experts from within the education sector. This work will be based on the National Return to Work Safely Protocol that was published by Government and will also be informed by guidance and experience from other jurisdictions.
A core objective of the contingency plans will be to ensure that schools and other education settings can re-open and operate in a safe manner that is consistent with public health advice.
Following consultation with the education partners, guidance will issue to schools on the logistical and curricular arrangements to be put in place to facilitate the phased re-opening of schools. This guidance will provide a framework for individual schools, including special schools, to develop plans for the re-opening of school in accordance with their own circumstances and context and the needs of their staff and students.
A range of support and guidance has been provided for schools on how to provide for the continuing education for pupils over the current school closure period.
I am aware of concerns that the closure of schools has impacted hardest upon families who have children with complex needs whose well-being and engagement with learning depend very much on the routine of school and their relationships with other students, teachers and Special Needs Assistants.
They have also lost out on specialist supports during this closure period.
My Department has taken a number of initiatives to support children and young people who are at risk of educational disadvantage during the period of school closures.
These include –
- Guidance issued to all schools to support the ongoing learning of children with special educational needs and children who are at risk of disadvantage;
- Guidance and resources developed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on supporting children with special educational needs
- €10m in ICT grant funding to schools towards the purchase of technology and devices to support students at risk of educational disadvantage.
- Continued funding of Home Tuition or, where this is not possible, flexibility to bank hours for use at a later time in the year
- Resources to support good mental health and well-being amongst students produced by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS)
- To help schools plan for the new academic year, schools have been informed that their SNA allocation is being frozen at this year’s level and there is provision for additionality where this might be required. No school will therefore have a lower allocation for the next school year.
- The Middletown Centre for Autism has developed a range of online resources for children and young people with Autism and their parents on education provision in the home.
Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 health crisis, it is not possible to deliver the normal July Provision programme in the same way and at the same time as in other years.
However my Department is planning for a summer provision type programme for children with complex needs this year as soon as it is safe to do so and in accordance with public health advice.
The primary aim of the proposed programme would be to limit potential regression in learning thereby ensuring in so far as possible that these children can reintegrate and transition into their planned education setting for next year with their peers.
This may be done through a targeted level of supports to address regression of social skills and re-establish tolerance of routines paving the way for reintegrating full time into education when schools reopen in the autumn.
Planning is underway and consultations with stakeholders have commenced. The willingness of schools, teachers and SNAs to participate are key to the provision of a summer education programme.
An announcement will be made as soon as possible.
243. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will permit the July provision to take place in a school (details supplied) in view of the fact that the school building and teacher-pupil ratio would enable social distancing guidance to be followed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8997/20]
View answer248. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider extending the July provision into August 2020 in order that children with special needs are eased back into the new school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9002/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 243 and 248 together.
My Department is aware of concerns that the closure of schools has impacted hardest upon families who have children with complex needs whose well-being and engagement with learning depend very much on the routine of school and their relationships with other students, teachers and Special Needs Assistants.
They have also lost out on specialist supports during this closure period.
My Department has taken a number of initiatives to support children and young people who are at risk of educational disadvantage during the period of school closures.
These include –
- Guidance issued to all schools to support the ongoing learning of children with special educational needs and children who are at risk of disadvantage;
- Guidance and resources developed by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on supporting children with special educational needs
- €10m in ICT grant funding to schools towards the purchase of technology and devices to support students at risk of educational disadvantage.
- Continued funding of Home Tuition or, where this is not possible, flexibility to bank hours for use at a later time in the year
- Resources to support good mental health and well-being amongst students produced by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS)
- To help schools plan for the new academic year, schools have been informed that their SNA allocation is being frozen at this year’s level and there is provision for additionality where this might be required. No school will therefore have a lower allocation for the next school year.
- The Middletown Centre for Autism has developed a range of online resources for children and young people with Autism and their parents on education provision in the Home.
Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 health crisis, it is not possible to deliver the normal July Provision programme in the same way and at the same time as in other years.
However my Department is planning for a summer provision type programme for children with complex needs this year as soon as it is safe to do so and in accordance with public health advice.
The primary aim of the proposed programme would be to limit potential regression in learning thereby ensuring in so far as possible that these children can reintegrate and transition into their planned education setting for next year with their peers.
This may be done through a targeted level of supports to address regression of social skills and re-establish tolerance of routines paving the way for reintegrating full time into education when schools reopen in the autumn.
Planning is underway and consultations with stakeholders have commenced. The willingness of schools, teachers and SNAs to participate are key to the provision of a summer education programme.
An announcement will be made as soon as possible.
244. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the €10 million information technology equipment fund announced by his Department will be available to special schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8998/20]
View answerAs part of the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 - Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Assessment, funding of €210m for ICT Infrastructure will be distributed by my Department to primary and second level schools including special schools, over the five years of the Strategy. €110m has issued over the last three years with a further €40m recently issuing to schools.
The additional €10m ICT funding has also issued to schools, and is part of the broader Digital Strategy investment. This funding is to assist schools to support students at risk of educational disadvantage due to school closures. Schools have been asked to use this funding to address situations where students are disadvantaged in their engagement with the schools remote teaching and learning due to lack of access to digital devices.
This ICT Grant funding issues to recognised primary, special and post-primary schools in respect of pupils and students following primary and post-primary programmes. The ICT grant does not issue in respect of PLC, further education, or higher education students. Full details regarding the funding are set out in Circulars 0031/2020 (€40m funding) and 0032/2020 (€10m funding) which are available on the Department’s website at
https://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Circulars-and-Forms/.
245. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of members of an order employed in schools (details supplied). [8999/20]
View answerI regret to inform the Deputy that the information requested by him is not available in my Department.
246. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of members of an order employed in schools (details supplied). [9000/20]
View answerI regret to inform the Deputy that the information requested by him is not available in my Department.
247. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills if special needs assistants will be sanctioned to carry out the July provision in 2020 to assist teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9001/20]
View answerI am committed to running a summer Provision type programme for children with complex needs this year as soon as it is safe to do so and in accordance with public health advice.
My Department is exploring a number of options for a summer education programme for children with complex special needs.
The primary aim of the proposed programme would be to limit potential regression in learning thereby ensuring in so far as possible that these children can reintegrate and transition into their planned education setting for next year with their peers.
This may be done through a targeted level of supports to address regression of social skills and re-establish tolerance of routines paving the way for reintegrating full time into education when schools reopen in the autumn.
The July Provision scheme is an extension of the school year. Where the scheme is held in school, special classes continue on and SNAs remain in the class to support the children availing of July Provision.
249. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the measures taken to ensure engagement between school owners and teachers in the English language sector prior to the them reopening; and the supports he plans to provide to these schools to address the financial impact of Covid-19. [9023/20]
View answerMy Department is conscious of the issues in the English language education sector arising from the Covid-19 outbreak and has established a specific Working Group for this sector. This group is comprised of representatives of relevant Government Departments and representatives of both students and English language education providers.
As part of the wider Covid-19 response, the Government has introduced a number of measures to support businesses at this time. These measures include a temporary wages subsidy scheme to facilitate employers to keep employees on the payroll throughout the Covid-19 pandemic in order to retain this link for when business increases after the crisis. This scheme is administered by the Revenue Commissioners and is available to providers in the English language education sector. Additionally for those staff in this sector who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, they are eligible to apply for the Government’s Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
In addition to the above, providers in this sector will be eligible to apply, where appropriate, for further Covid-19 business supports made available by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation via Enterprise Ireland and through its network of Local Enterprise Offices.
In respect of the safe re-opening of English language education providers, the timeline and arrangements for this will be guided by public health advice applicable at a given time. On May 1st, the Taoiseach announced the roadmap for the gradual lifting of the current Covid-19 restrictions. This roadmap sets out a number of phases with the re-opening of the wider education system contained in the later phases to coincide broadly with the beginning of the new academic year.
My Department will engage with provider representatives within the English language education sector as they develop more detailed plans for the re-opening of their premises on this basis. It is to be expected that ensuring the health and safety of staff and students will be central to the provider's plans and that necessary consultations will be undertaken as part of their development. It is anticipated that the "Return to Work Safely Protocol" recently published jointly by the Department of Health and the Department of Enterprise, Business & Innovation, and designed to support measures being put in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace will be used to inform these plans. Experience of the re-opening of educational facilities in other areas and jurisdictions will also be relevant.
253. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the provisions being made for pupils who are finishing fifth year of secondary school and will sit the leaving certificate in 2021 but have lost vital class time due to Covid-19 restrictions. [9058/20]
View answerFollowing the school closure in March 2020, my Department published a range of guidance to assist schools and teachers in ensuring continuity of teaching and learning for students as well as supporting their well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This guidance aimed, inter alia, to ensure regular engagement of students in lessons, tasks and learning experiences across the range of curriculum subjects, provision of regular assignments and regular, practical, supportive and customised feedback on work submitted.
Schools adopted various ways to engage with their students in accordance with the technology and broadband resources available in school and at home, including by post, e-mails, communication apps, the school website, use of other digital communicative platforms, including live meetings. Schools were asked to be conscious of pupils who may not have access to online facilities and to adapt approaches so that these pupils continued to have the opportunity to participate in learning.
The aim of these distant learning approaches, the guidance which issued to all schools and the regular engagement with students, was to ensure that students stayed connected with and progressed their learning. These actions will, therefore, have helped to minimise the impact of school closure.
In the context of planning for a return to school which is underway, my Department is, inter alia, considering the curriculum, i.e. what needs to be put in place to support ongoing progression for learners and addressing any shortfall that may result from school closures. Those going into sixth year in post primary schools are a group that will receive a particular focus in the context of preparations for the Leaving Certificate examinations in 2021.
My Department is acutely aware of the challenges faced by students at this difficult time, and how the current circumstances will continue to present challenges into the future. The welfare of students is, and will continue to be, front and centre in all decision making.
254. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has assessed the need for two new mainstream classrooms, one special education teaching room, large-scale refurbishment of existing buildings and associated redevelopment of the grounds of a school (details supplied); the status of the two applications to have the works approved and funded; if his officials have engaged with the board of management of the school regarding the proposed building project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9062/20]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has no current record of receiving an application, for additional accommodation, from the school in question.
Schools which identify that they have a shortfall in accommodation may apply for funding under my Department's Additional School Accommodation Scheme (ASA). The application form and information relating to this scheme are available on my Department's website www.education.ie.
255. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of students seeking a place in a secondary school in Kilkenny city for commencement in September 2020; if these students will be accommodated in Kilkenny city schools; his views on whether this is a growing issue; the action he plans to take to solve the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9071/20]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not been made aware of any issues with school places in Kilkenny City.
Information in relation to all school projects being planned and delivered, in Co Kilkenny, is available on my Department’s website, www.education.ie. The delivery of such projects will provide sufficient accommodation to meet demand into the future.
256. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of places available in special units of schools in Kilkenny city for the education and support of children with Down syndrome; if there are sufficient places available for 2021; and the position of a person (details supplied) awaiting a place at a school. [9072/20]
View answerEnsuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of my Department. Significant resources are allocated each year to ensure that appropriate supports are available for children with special educational needs.
Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased almost threefold, from 548 to 1,618 for the 2019/2020 school year. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide; has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents; and seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.
167 new special classes were established nationally for 2019/20 school year. There are currently 31 special classes in Co Kilkenny, of which 11 are post primary and 20 are primary. In addition there are 5 special schools in Co. Kilkenny.
The NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and school places nationally to meet identified need for next year. This process is ongoing,
It is open to any school to make an application to the NCSE for the establishment of a specialised provision and where sanctioned, a range of supports, including capital funding, is made available to the school. The Department of Education and Skills works closely with the NCSE in this regard.
Normally, special class and school places are established with the full cooperation of the schools in areas where they are required. However there are some parts of the country where the NCSE has faced challenges in getting schools and their patrons to voluntarily agree to provide special class or school places. I know that this can cause much anguish for parents and families involved.
As Minister for Education and Skills, I have power under Section 37A of the Education Act 1998 to direct a school to provide additional provision where all reasonable efforts have failed. This legislation has been used to good effect in the recent past.
The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents/ guardians of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.
The NCSE team of locally based Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) are available to assist parents/guardians to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs and to discuss their child's special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at:
https://ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list
The NCSE works in collaboration with the Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency which is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child or can offer assistance where a child is out of school. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWO). Contact details are available at
http://www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/.
It is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998. The selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. Under section 15 (2) (d) of the Education Act 1998, each school is legally obliged to publish its enrolment policy.
It should be noted that where a parent/guardian seeks to enrol a child in a school and that school refuses to enrol the child, the school is obliged to inform the parents/guardians of their right under Section 29 of the Education Act 1998 to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of my Department. Only where an appeal under Section 29 is upheld, may the Secretary General of my Department direct a school to enrol a pupil.
257. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a person (details supplied) is entitled to a wage subsidy payment from his Department in view of the fact their income as a secondary school teacher doing 11 hours of resource teaching and 11 hours from casual substitution has ceased due to school closures. [9073/20]
View answerThe managerial authorities of schools are the direct employers of teachers and my Department acts as the paymaster. In this regard, the position is that where a contract of appointment was already in place my Department has continued to pay the relevant salaries.
In the case of the individual referred to by the Deputy, they have received payment from my Department on each payroll since the Covid-19 arrangements came into force and will continue to be paid for the 11 hours of resource teaching up until 31st August 2020. The person would also be paid for any casual substitution work where the managerial authority had contracted them to undertake the work.
My Department does not operate the wage subsidy scheme.
258. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the new Citywest and Saggart post-primary school; the details of objections made; when the school will be built; the status of the sports grounds promised by the ETB; if these sports grounds will facilitate the local community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9095/20]
View answerThe building project for the school in question is currently at planning permission stage. A request for further information was received from the Local Authority in February 2020 and a response to the matters raised therein is currently being prepared.
All information relating to the Planning application including third party submissions is available on South Dublin County Council’s Website under planning ref number SD19A/0393.
The Development of a Sports Grounds does not form part of the brief for this project.
260. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to confer DEIS band 1 status on schools on the northside of Drogheda that are currently in DEIS band 2; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9139/20]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, my Department is in the final stages of refinement of the new DEIS identification model, based on school enrolment data and the latest data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index.
This work is at an advanced stage and a consultation process with education stakeholder representatives on the technical aspects of the refined DEIS ID model is currently in progress. It is envisaged that this model will then provide the basis for development of a DEIS resource allocation system to match resources to identified need.
I am confident that the culmination of this work will facilitate the ultimate aim of matching resources to identified need and will allow us to target extra resources at those schools most in need. Until this work is complete, it is not intended to extend the DEIS programme to any further schools.
Officials from my Department have engaged with the schools in the Drogheda area and have outlined to the principals of the schools the work ongoing in relation to DEIS.
262. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if additional support will be provided to students who attend Gaelscoileanna particularly in cases in which Irish is not spoken in the home therefore depriving students of day-to-day use of their primary learning language; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9156/20]
View answerA key priority for my Department is to minimise the impact of school closures on the educational attainment of all learners due to the Covid 19 pandemic. We are currently undertaking a number of actions to ensure this.
A range of guidance has already been published to assist schools and teachers to ensure continuity of learning to support students while out of school. This guidance has issued to schools to support the continuity of teaching and learning, to support those with special educational needs, to support those at risk of educational disadvantage and to support the well-being of students. Further guidance is being developed to support primary schools. This guidance has been developed in consultation with all th management bodies and unions.
Schools have adopted various ways to engage with their students and these will vary in accordance with the technology and broadband resources available in school and at the home. Schools are engaging with students and parents using various means such as by post, e-mails, communication apps or the school website. Where technology permits, students may have regular engagement with their teacher/s on platforms such as Google Classroom, Microsoft Office 365 and Edmodo or participate in live meetings through the use of tools such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Webex. Schools have been asked to be conscious of pupils who may not have access to online facilities and to adapt approaches so that these pupils continue to have the opportunity to participate in learning. The aim of these distant learning approaches is to ensure that children stay connected with learning to facilitate progression to the next level of their education.
Schools are best placed to make decisions with regards to the learning of their pupils including language. Resources are available on websites such as COGG.ie, PDST.ie and gaeloideachas.ie to assist schools at this time. Parents of children in Irish-medium schools are encouraged to provide opportunities for their children to hear and engage with the Irish language, using Irish language television programmes and resources provided from their schools and from the websites mentioned above.
In order to complement the efforts of teachers and parents/guardians to support continuity of learning, TG4 is broadcasting Cúla4 ar Scoil, a half-hour Irish-language programme broadcast daily by Fibín Teo (10.00 am-10.30am) incorporating a range of Irish-language dialects. Lessons can also be viewed on TG4 Player. Cúla4 ar Scoil includes learning experiences drawn from core curriculum subjects including Irish, Mathematics, History, Geography with an emphasis on creativity, the arts (Music, Visual Arts and Drama), oral traditions, SPHE/PE (health and well-being). In order to further engage children immediately before and after the Cúla4 ar Scoil, programme (9.30am to 11am), TG4 has added additional features to other programmes including Bia Linn, Ár Scéal, Timmy ag Foghlaim, Is Eolaí Mé agus WAC.
This programme, which commenced on 20 April, is presented by two practising primary school teachers with a high levels of proficiency in Irish, with contributions from teachers and facilitators from other communities and Gaeltacht regions. The timetable for lessons is posted online in advance of the series of lessons covered the following week to inform teachers, parents and children.
Cúla4 ar Scoil will run until the end of June 2020 and it is planned that it will resume in September 2020.
A 5-week thematic Summer Camp-type Programme will be broadcast on TG4 from 29 June 2020 through to the beginning of August 2020.
263. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if additional support will be provided to address the specific needs of children with learning disabilities; if the funding will be allocated to facilitate additional classes and support to these students in addition to the existing model when they return to school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9157/20]
View answerOn the 1st May 2020, the Taoiseach announced as part of the "Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business" that schools will commence opening on a phased basis at the beginning of the 2020/2021 academic year.
My Department is currently working with the Education Partners and relevant stakeholders in planning for this re-opening which will be based on public health advice. As part of this engagement, each of the education partners were given the opportunity to outline the key issues that they would like to have considered in the context of re-opening schools.
The issues raised by the education partners will now be worked through in detail as part of the development of the roadmap for reopening schools.
A core objective will be to ensure that schools and other education settings can re-open and operate in a safe manner that is consistent with public health advice.
In the interim, my Department has provided a range of support and guidance for schools on how to provide for the continuing education for pupils over the current school closure period.
Supports are provided to schools and teachers engaged in distance learning and these are available at https://www.education.ie/en/covid-19/#14
In addition to the general guidance that has been provided for schools, additional support material has also been provided specifically on how schools should provide for the continuity of education for children with special educational needs. This guidance is available at:
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/National-Emergencies-Public-Health-Issues/guidance-continuity-of-schooling-supporting-pupils-with-sen-primary.pdf
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/National-Emergencies-Public-Health-Issues/guidance-continuity-of-schooling-supporting-students-with-sen-post-primary.pdf
The guidance notes that there is a particular need for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) to have regular, ongoing schooling. While all pupils need to be supported to maintain their engagement in learning, those with SEN are among those who need most support at this time. Examples of strategies and measures to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEN are catered for, are provided in the guidance documents and a range of resources are also identified for parents.
It sets out the role of schools and teachers in engaging with pupils with SEN and the role of teachers and school leaders to support such pupils. It advises schools as to how best to keep in touch with parents and guardians and how to keep pupils with SEN safe and engaged in the distance learning environment.
The guidance sets out the role of the special education teacher to support children with special educational needs at this time. It notes that the special education teacher’s knowledge of their pupils’ priority learning needs and agreed targets, as outlined in the pupil support file, will enable them to work with parents and guardians to choose appropriate supports in a remote learning environment.
Special Education Teachers (SETs) are asked to carefully examine how progress on the existing learning targets in student support plans can be reasonably extended by home learning. They are asked to use this knowledge to communicate with the pupils and their parents and guardians and to establish what methods will work best to achieve continuity of learning for the pupils.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is also providing a range of online resources for parents and teachers to support home learning for children with special educational needs during the Covid 19 restrictions.
In addition to the normal supports, the NCSE is providing online resources for children with Special Educational Needs who are at home as a result of the schools’ closure.
Supports provided include those relating to general learning and difficulties for pupils with SEN, Curriculum support, speech language and communication, occupational therapy support, guidance around behaviour, and learning and resources on ‘Visiting Teachers Support’ for a teacher who teaches children with sensory impairment
Details of the full range of supports that the NCSE provides for teachers and parents is available at:
https://ncse.ie/online-resources
The Department of Education and Skills’ NEPS psychologists have also developed advice and resources for young people to manage and stay well when schools are closed. The NEPS advice & resources for keeping children and young people well during Covid-19 are available at
https://www.education.ie/covid19/well-being/
Guidelines for continued provision of Guidance Counselling and resources available to support practice is available at
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/Post-Primary-School-Policies/Policies/Guidance-Plan.html
Guidance for parents of primary school pupils, which sets out what they should expect in relation to engagement in distance learning from schools, and how they can support their child in a home schooling environment is also available at:
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/continuity-of-schooling/continuity-of-schooling.html
I also recently announced that a special €10 million fund is being made available to support the purchase of technology and devices for disadvantaged students, including students with special educational needs.
This is additional to the latest round of funding for ICT under the Digital Strategy for Schools whereby €40m grant funding will be distributed in the coming weeks to eligible. €10m additional funding is also now issuing to schools to support children and young people who are at risk of educational disadvantage during the period of school closures.
There are currently no proposals to review the existing criteria for the allocation of Special Education Teachers or Special Needs Assistants for schools, or to adjust the current criteria of the allocation of supports, due to matters arising from COVID 19. This matter, and matters in relation to social distancing, or additional supports that may be required, will be kept under review in the context of public health advice regarding schools re-opening and the ongoing advice of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET).
While recognising the difficulty that school closure has had for parents and pupils, particularly in relation to pupils with special educational needs, my Department will continue to support and encourage schools to provide as much continuity of education as possible for such pupils, while continuing to engage with public health officials and stakeholders in relation to when schools may re-open and operate in a safe manner that is consistent with public health advice.
264. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the criteria used for allocation of teaching posts in DEIS schools (details supplied) will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9159/20]
View answerMy Department’s overall annual spend on the DEIS Programme is approximately €125 million. Additional funding is provided by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for the School Meals Programme and by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs for the School Completion Programme. As the Deputy may be aware, work by my Department on a refined DEIS ID model is at an advanced stage. It is envisaged that this model will then provide the basis for development of a DEIS resource allocation system to match resources to identified need.
A list of the various supports and resources available to DEIS schools is available on my Department's website at the following link ; https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/deis-supports-to-deis-schools-effective-from-2017-2018-school-year.pdf
The Centre for School Leadership, established in 2015, is charged with the development of a coherent continuum of professional development supports for school leaders. The Centre gives priority to leaders from DEIS schools who apply for the various programmes offered by the Centre including the Excellence through Collaborative Leadership and Management Clustering Initiative and the Principal Coaching Service.
The extension of an additional deputy principal in large DEIS schools will be considered as part of my Department's overall Budget process.
265. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide additional funding for book rental schemes in post-primary DEIS schools. [9160/20]
View answerMy Department provides a book grant to all recognised primary and post primary schools within the Free Education Scheme in order to provide assistance for books including Book Rental Schemes. Post primary schools receive €24 per pupil for mainstream schools while DEIS schools receive an enhanced rate of €39 per pupil. Under this scheme, the Department provided funding of €16.9 million in 2019 to all of these schools.
I also announced additional funding of €1million which is being allocated to 102 Primary DEIS schools for a new pilot programme for the 2020/21 school year. The aim of this pilot is to provide free school books for students in the schools involved, and to support these schools in eliminating the cost of school books for parents. It will run for the period of one year and its effectiveness and impact will be monitored and evaluated before any decision is made as regards its possible extension or continuation.
Under Circular 46/2013, DEIS primary schools receive a book grant of €21 per student. This pilot will provide an additional €64 per student to increase the overall book grant rate to €85 per student enrolled in the school. This additional funding issued to schools in May 2020.
School book rental schemes have an important role to play in reducing the cost of school books for parents. The most recent figures available indicate that 68% of post-primary schools operate a book rental scheme
It is a matter for the Board of Management of each individual school to decide on its own policy in relation to the use of book grant funding in the school but they are expected to adopt a cost-conscious approach to the selection of books for use in their classes. The current arrangement relies on the local knowledge of the school in order to ensure a fair allocation of funds to those most in need.
The arrangements in relation to the book grant scheme are set out in Circular 0046/2013 which is published on the Department's website at
http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0046_2013.pdf
