Written Answers Nos. 101-120
101. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he plans to run the July provision in 2020; if so, if it will be made available to all children with disabilities that have been out of school since 12 March 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9648/20]
View answerMy Department is planning to provide a summer education programme for children with significant special educational needs as soon as it is safe to do so and in accordance with public health advice.
It is intended that this programme will be similar to the July Provision of previous years.
The Summer Education Programme will take place for children with significant special educational needs enrolled in special schools, special classes and mainstream classes.
The programme will be reliant on schools, teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) choosing to participate on a voluntary basis.
Planning is under way and an announcement will be made shortly.
102. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the planning taking place for the educational needs of children with disabilities that have frail and complex medical health (details supplied); if there will be home tuition, one-to-one virtual access to a teacher or other provisions; and the status of such plans. [9649/20]
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 students can return to their schools in a safe manner that is consistent with public health advice.
Further details of how and when schools will reopen and also as to whether some online teaching or remote aceess may continue next year, will be announced shortly.
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 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:
www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/National-Emergencies-Public-Health-Issues/guidance-continuity-of-schooling-supporting-pupils-with-sen-primary.pdf.
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 www.education.ie/covid19/wellbeing/.
Guidelines for continued provision of Guidance Counselling and resources available to support practice is available at 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:
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.
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.
103. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education and Skills when examination fees will be refunded. [9654/20]
View answerThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
104. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a response will issue to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9662/20]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers has been approved funding for a building project under my Department’s Additional Accommodation Scheme 2018 that will provide for 2 additional mainstream classrooms. The tender process with respect to this project is well advanced and is expected to conclude in the coming weeks.
My Department has also approved funding to the school for additional interim temporary accommodation to assist in addressing its current enrolment need.
105. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supports in place for the English language sector post-Covid-19. [9663/20]
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 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.
106. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a school building project (details supplied). [9675/20]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that my Department has received a Stage 2b report from the school to which he refers. My Department will be in contact with the school directly once its review of this report has been completed.
107. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a building project for a school (details supplied). [9677/20]
View answerThe project referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of the tender process; the Stage 3 tender report is currently under review within my Department.
Once this review is completed and subject to no issues arising, Department officials will be in contact with the school with regard to completing the tender process and with a view to commencing on site later this year.
108. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the planning and procurement for the installation of appropriate prefabs has been organised for a school (details supplied) to ensure the school can open in line with other secondary schools when it is safe to do so, with appropriate space to facilitate social distancing and the teaching of a wide variety of subjects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9694/20]
View answerA planning application for the school to which the Deputy refers was lodged with the relevant local authority on 2 April 2020 and a decision is awaited. The tendering process for the procurement of prefabricated accommodation for the project is currently ongoing. It is envisaged that the school will open in suitable interim accommodation with standard classroom sizes for the 2020/2021 academic year.
109. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider allowing stakeholders representing both teachers and students in the English language education sector to participate in the Covid-19 Working Group for the English language education sector (details supplied). [9697/20]
View answerI am aware of the challenges that are being encountered in the English language education sector and the substantial impact that the Covid-19 outbreak has had on students, teachers and providers in this sector.
My Department recognises the important role that teachers play in this sector and the support they have provided and continue to provide for students at this time. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, officials from my Department have had engagement with a Trade Union in this sector and teacher representatives where they have outlined their concerns.
The English language education working group for this sector has been established with a remit to address the issues arising from the Covid-19 pandemic with a priority and focus placed in the first instance on issues affecting students as well as other issues arising e.g. how stakeholders can work together to promote the sector as international markets move into recovery. The working group is comprised of key sectoral stakeholders including officials from my Department, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Enterprise Ireland, as well as lead sectoral representative bodies of providers and learner advocates.
The coordination of the response of the wider education system to the Covid-19 outbreak is a substantial challenge. In this context, the Department has found the current structure of the working group to be effective in delivering on its remit and, while the Department remains open to views, there are no current plans to expand membership. To date, the Group has facilitated an appropriate level of engagement with stakeholders alongside the ability to identify and help resolve issues as they arise. The Department and the members of the Working Group will continue to engage with external parties, to seek to exchange information where relevant and address queries where possible.
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.
110. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if supports will be provided for ACELS, QQI and MEI accredited English language schools which were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic in March to reopen in 2020 (details supplied). [9698/20]
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 including those accredited by ACELS and MEI.
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.
111. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position in relation to securing a place at a special primary school for a child (details supplied) with special needs for the 2020/21 school year; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that no appropriate school place has been offered to them and they must start school this autumn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9706/20]
View answerEnsuring that every child has a suitable school placement is a key objective of this 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; with 1,353 of these catering for children with autism.
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.
The NCSE is planning a further expansion of special class and school places nationally, including Cork, 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. My Department 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 NCSE has advised that they have experienced difficulties in securing special class or school placements in certain areas in Co Cork, but that they are continuing to work as a matter of urgency in accommodating students who require such placements.
The NCSE's Local Special Education Needs Organisers (SENOs) are available to assist and advise both schools and the parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: https://ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.
The local SENO remains available to offer further advice and assistance, and I would encourage the parents of the child referred to by the Deputy to continue to engage directly with them, as required.
112. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the distanced teaching work newly qualified teachers are doing online at home will qualify towards their probation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9707/20]
View answer120. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address the commitment given to NQTs by the Teaching Council that no NQT would be disadvantaged in their progress through the Droichead process due to school closures after the lockdown to manage the Covid-19 crisis and that no NQT will be required to begin the Droichead process from day one due to school closures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9802/20]
View answer127. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) in relation to the completion of the Droichead programme in the context of primary school teaching; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9848/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 112, 120 and 127 together.
The Teaching Council is the statutory body with responsibility for professional standards at all stages of the teaching career. It has established standards for post-qualification professional practice, as set out in Droichead, the integrated professional induction framework for newly qualified primary and post-primary teachers.
Due to Covid-19 and the unprecedented situation of school closures, on May 22nd last the Teaching Council announced revised arrangements which provide additional flexibility to support newly qualified teachers (NQTs) engaging in Droichead in 2019/2020 to complete the process. These arrangements balance the core principles of the policy which is the school based supportive process coupled with engagement in additional professional learning activities.
The Council has made a significant concession for NQTs who had not completed the full Droichead process within the minimum period of time by 12 March. This includes the recognition of all elements of Droichead which have been completed up to that date i.e. additional professional learning activities, observations, professional conversations, cluster meetings, Taisce (the professional learning portfolio) and days/hours taught. In normal circumstances this would not be the position.
Droichead as a process is not simply about teaching time. From a professional standards point of view, it requires the agreement of the NQT and the Professional Support Team in the school that a quality induction process has occurred over the minimum period of time specified.
I am, however, also aware of concerns raised regarding a smaller group of NQTs who had not met the minimum time requirement by 12 March. I understand the Teaching Council has just completed a review of their situation and will be communicating directly with those concerned this week.
113. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education and Skills if a school (details supplied) will be operating at a temporary location on a greenfield site in Ballycullen, Dublin 24 in September 2020 and will not be operating in its current location in another school for the 2020/2021 school year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9708/20]
View answerThe school to which the Deputy refers will not operate from a Ballycullen, Dublin 24 location for the start of the 2020/2021 academic year and due to additional accommodation requirements in the schools in which they are currently located it is not possible for them to continue to operate from the existing location.
Interim accommodation for the school will be provided on the Citywest Education Campus for the 2020/2021 academic year.
114. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to manage teacher absences through certified illness and leave when schools reopen with regard to the already significant layers of social distancing management and other additional responsibilities if the Covid-19 disease is still spreading; if a plan has been put in place for substitute teachers to be assigned to schools in such cases that is additional to the systems already in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9724/20]
View answerThe general principles to apply to the management of COVID-19 includes the safety and welfare of employees and the minimisation of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning.
On 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.
Because of the diversity of Institutions providing education, the opening of such Institutions needs to be carefully managed and planning has already commenced in my Department. This process includes consultation with stakeholders, takes into account the experience of other countries and the ongoing public health advice. The staffing of schools will be considered as part of this process.
116. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address a matter regarding schools (details supplied) losing a teacher in September 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9753/20]
View answerThe criteria used for the allocation of teaching posts is published annually on the Department website. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The staffing schedule operates in a clear and transparent manner and treats all similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. The staffing schedule includes an appeals mechanism for schools to submit a staffing appeal under certain criteria to an independent Appeals Board.
The schools referred to have not submitted a staffing appeal to date. The Primary Staffing Appeals Board will next consider appeals in June. The closing date for the receipt of staffing appeals is 15th June.
117. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made on advancing to the construction phase of the new school buildings for a school (details supplied). [9782/20]
View answerThe major building project for the school to which the Deputy refers is at an advanced stage of architectural planning, Stage 2(b) - Detailed Design, which includes the application for statutory approvals and the preparation of tender documents.
In December 2019, the Department received the Stage 2(b) submission for this project. In order to expedite the progression of the major building project, the Department authorised the school and its Design Team to commence the pre-qualification process to select a shortlist of contractors in parallel with the Department’s review of the Stage 2(b) submission for this project.
The review of the Stage 2(b) submission and the pre-qualification process are currently on-going.
Upon review of the submission my Department will be in contact with the school regarding the further progression of the project at that time.
118. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Education and Skills if the additional income provided to students that were working part-time and are now in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment will be factored into their income eligibility for student grants under SUSI in 2021. [9783/20]
View answerThe Covid-19 payment will be treated as reckonable income for the SUSI means assessment process. This will mean that the Covid-19 payment will be treated in a similar fashion to other Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection payments (e.g. Jobseekers Benefit & Allowance), thus ensuring a consistency of approach and an equitable treatment of students and their families in the SUSI means assessment process. This approach is entirely consistent with well-established practice by SUSI and is in accordance with the statutory provisions of the scheme.
However, if a student or party to their application experiences a change in circumstances that is not a temporary change and is likely to continue for the foreseeable future they can apply to SUSI to have their application assessed under the change in circumstances provision.
In the case of a change of circumstances all household income, and not just the income of the person experiencing the change, will be assessed/reassessed on the basis of the current year (2020). Any award or adjustment will take effect from the month in which the change occurred. This provision may benefit some students whose income has fallen in 2020 due to Covid-19 issues.
119. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there will be no reduction in teacher numbers in primary schools for the 2020/2021 school year even if there has been a reduction in pupil enrolment in some areas in view of the Covid-19 crisis (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9785/20]
View answerThe key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil enrolments on the previous 30 September.
The redeployment of all surplus permanent/CID holding teachers is the mechanism used to fill teaching posts and is key to the ability of the Department to manage within its payroll budget. The redeployment panels are currently transacting and schools are filling teaching vacancies for the 2020/21 school year.
The National Return to Work Safely Protocol will inform discussions with all education partners so that appropriate guidance for schools is developed and arrangements put in place in time for the new school year.
