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Covid-19 Pandemic

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 February 2021

Thursday, 4 February 2021

Questions (114)

Claire Kerrane

Question:

114. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Education if there is a way parents can recoup moneys or part of moneys spent on much needed IT equipment in order to ensure their children could engage in remote learning from home; if not, if she will consider making a fund available to parents who had to purchase devices (details supplied) and printers in order to enable their children to be educated from home; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6193/21]

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Written answers

Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic my Department has issued extensive guidance material to assist schools with the continuity of learning. This guidance to schools was developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders including teachers, parents and learners.  The guidance included provision to support the continuity of teaching and learning in response to the Covid-19 restrictions for those learners unable to engage with online learning.  This guidance is available at gov.ie.

As part of the €210m investment programme underpinning the implementation of the Digital Strategy for Schools,  my Department provided €100m in grant funding to schools to address their ICT needs during 2020. Schools were advised that they can use this funding to support the continuity of teaching and learning should a period of partial or full school closure occur arising from Public Health advice owing to Covid-19 restrictions as is the current situation. This can include the purchase of ICT devices including laptops, tablet devices and hybrid computing devices, that can be shared with students and teachers who do not have access to devices, essential learning platforms and other ICT infrastructure to support the provision of remote learning. 

This ICT Grant funding issues to schools, as schools are best placed to identify the needs of their learners and to meet those requirements.

In addition my Department directly funds the provision of broadband connectivity for schools at a cost of some €13m per annum.  School buildings will remain open to allow staff access where this is essential to facilitate remote learning.

Responsibility for ensuring that learners receive appropriate support to engage adequately with learning remains with the school in which they are enrolled. Regular and ongoing communication between school and home will be essential to support engagement with learning and continuous connection with classmates and school community.  Additional supports will be provided for these learners from within the staffing resources of the school. Schools will have discretion to manage and redistribute their support resources in order to best meet the learning needs of their pupils and students.

Resources to support schools and teachers to the transition to distance learning using technology, including blended learning approaches, are being provided by the Department support service, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), at https://www.pdst.ie/DistanceLearning.  

The Department’s Education portal www.scoilnet.ie also contains a wealth of curriculum tagged resources that can be used by teachers, students and parents to support the continuity of learning in the remote environment.

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