Brendan Griffin
Question:485. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Education the position regarding the case of a child (details supplied) with special needs and their education. [4418/21]
View answerWednesday, 27 January 2021
Questions (485)
Written answers
The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school.
Home tuition is not an alternative to a school placement and is provided in very limited and specific circumstances. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.
The scheme does not support children outside of these specific circumstances. An application for home tuition for the pupil referred to by the Deputy was received under the medical strand of the scheme. The application was refused on the basis that it did not meet the criteria for this strand. Education for pupils at very high risk due to COVID-19 is managed and delivered by their school.
My Department has published guidance to support schools in making adapted education provision for students with an underlying medical condition who cannot return to school because they are medically certified as being at very high risk to COVID-19.
The guidance for primary and post schools on supporting such students is available via the following link https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/a128d-back-to-school/
My Department also published updated Guidance on Continuity of Schooling: Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs.
The guidance builds on the key messages in a range of guidance materials which were issued to schools and centres for education as they were published.
In addition extensive support and advice for schools regarding the provision of distance learning is available through the Department’s support services and agencies including for those pupils with special educational needs.