Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020
208. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the plans being made to address the situation for 2020 fifth year students to assist those who need to catch up on missed work or to assist those with additional learning needs; if a revised leaving certificate syllabus will be introduced for their sixth year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12216/20]
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 wellbeing 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.
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.
The guidance 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.
Since the closure of schools principals and teachers 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 distance 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.
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 on their website.
In the context of planning for a return to school which is underway, the Department recently published a report to Government on Planning for reopening schools in line with the Roadmap for reopening. This report is available on my Department’s website.
The Department, in consultation with relevant agencies, including the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), identified the following key priorities in supporting students in re-engaging with the curriculum in the new school year:
1. The wellbeing and socialisation of students
2. Assessing where students are in terms of their learning
3. Identifying the additional supports that particular learners may require
4. Exploring options for remote provision that will compliment in-school provision and address curriculum gaps experienced during school closure
It is recognised that schools continue to be best placed to make decisions about how to support and educate all their learners during this period. The Department will be working in collaboration with the NCCA to develop guidance to schools to assist them in their planning so as to ensure that curricular priorities are delivered and that teaching and learning is optimal in these circumstances, guided at all times by public health advice.
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.
On 12 June I also announced a significantly expanded Summer programme for children with complex special educational needs and students in DEIS schools. Information regarding this is available on my Department’s website.
