I propose to take Questions Nos. 323 to 326, inclusive, together.
There are two Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROCs) in which primary level teaching is being provided: in Clonea, Co. Waterford and in Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon. There are 9 children at primary level currently accessing education in EROCs, 7 children since January 2020 and 2 since September 2020. When all school buildings closed in March as part of the response to Covid-19, enrolment in local mainstream schools was delayed pending school re-opening.
Children did not transfer to local mainstream schools when they re-opened in September as they were not considered school–ready and some families were due to be resettled. Any of the children who are now school ready and where no arrangements are in place for resettlement, will be transitioned to local primary schools after the mid-term break.
The Department has mandated relevant Education and Training Boards (ETB) to provide for the interim educational needs of families accommodated in EROCs. The agreed protocol between this Department and Education and Training Boards sets out arrangements for the delivery of on-site education provision within EROCs and transition to local mainstream schools. A Memorandum of Understanding was put in place between the Department of Education and Skills with the Department of Justice and Equality to facilitate inspections of the EROC schools.
It is intended that these two education settings located in EROCs will be subject to annual inspection. During the period of school closures and since September, inspectors have engaged with education settings attached to EROCs in the same way as they have engaged with schools.
During the period of school closures from March to June 2020, inspectors contacted schools with a view to offering advisory engagements. The main purpose of the advisory engagements was to offer the school principal an opportunity to engage with the inspector on the continuity of learning during the period of school building closures. In that regard, inspectors also contacted the education settings at the two Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres to offer advisory engagements. These offers were taken up in both instances and the advisory engagements were scheduled and carried out.
Inspectors are currently contacting schools to offer further advisory engagements focused on issues relating to the resumption of schooling, wellbeing and the delivery of the curriculum. In that regard, the education settings attached to EROCs have been offered advisory engagements and it is expected that these will be scheduled to take place in the near future.
In both EROCs, the teachers of primary level children are qualified primary teachers. These teachers may also avail of the educational support services of the Department of Education, including the advice and support of the National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS), the National Council for Special Educational Services (NCSE), the Inspectorate and appropriate Continuous Professional Development (CPD) through the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST).