Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
762. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education if she will expand on existing measures to address digital poverty, ensuring all low-income households have access to online teaching and pre-printed resources if required during the academic year as a result of Covid-19 safety measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32967/20]
View answerIt remains the Government’s and my Department’s key objective for schools to remain open and to continue to operate as normally as possible. However, I recognise that despite the best efforts of all stakeholders, there will be situations where individual pupils or groups of pupils, teachers, or possibly entire school communities, are requested by Public Health HSE to self-isolate or restrict their movements because of a case or cases of Covid-19.
Schools are aware of the need to provide for continuity of schooling in those situations. The approach may involve the use of digital technology or other means such as hardcopy materials depending on the context of the school and the school community. Given the often rapid changes of requirements and various potential scenarios that living with Covid-19 entails, it is important that schools review and adapt their plans to address the eolving situation and as their experience of providing for continuity of learning increases. This is particularly important in the context of pupils with special educational needs, pupils at risk of educational disadvantage and pupils at risk of early school leaving.
Extensive guidance and supports have been and continue to be made available by my Department and its support services to support schools to plan for the transition to online and remote learning as the need arises and this guidance is all available at
https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/a128d-back-to-school/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/backtoschool/
The guidance includes links to a range of materials and supports developed by the Digital Technologies team of the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) such as learning platforms and online tools which can be used to support remote learning. Those resources continue to be available to schools.
My Department is also finalising a circular that will provide guidance and support to schools to put in place arrangements, building on the work already done by schools, to facilitate communication with and between staff, between staff and learners and to facilitate development of online approaches to remote and blended learning in the event that such is required.
My Department’s Inspectorate is also supporting school communities to provide effectively for the learning and progression of all learners during the first term of the 2020/21 school year.
In addition, as part of the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 - Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Assessment, my Department has already provided €160m of grant aid to schools for ICT Infrastructure. This includes €50m that issued earlier this year. This ICT Grant funding issues directly to schools and schools are best placed to identify the requirements of their own student cohort and to meet those requirements in the most appropriate way. In the context of the current public health crisis this funding can be focussed on assisting schools to address ICT needs including devices, software and other ICT solutions to support the provision of remote learning. This can include the purchase of ICT devices that can be shared with students who do not have access to devices, essential learning platforms and other ICT infrastructure to support the provision of remote learning. An additional €50m will issue for the current school year and it is planned that the funding will issue before the end of this year.
The situation we find ourselves in is evolving all the time. My Department, in working with the whole of Government, will keep the situation under review and update any advices to schools as required. We will continue to work with all our stakeholders to ensure that schools, teachers and learners are supported and that together we continue to provide the best education for all our pupils/students while learning to live with restrictions under Covid-19.
