Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 May 2021
161. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education the steps she is taking to support teachers in delivering the required syllabus through remote learning due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1473/21]
View answerSince the start of the Covid-19 pandemic my Department has issued extensive guidance material to assist schools and teachers with the continuity of learning. This guidance 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. 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, such as laptops that can be shared through loan arrangements 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.
Information Note TC 0013/2021 which was recently published, sets out the working arrangements for the ‘Very High Risk’ and also pregnant teachers/SNAs for the remainder of the current school year and the 2021/22 school year. For the remainder of the 2020/21 school year, a teacher or SNA who has been categorised by the Occupational Health Service (OHS) as in the ‘Very High Risk’ group (including those who have been fully vaccinated), should continue to work remotely i.e. work from home. Similarly, a pregnant teacher or SNA is advised by my Department to continue to work remotely i.e. work from home, for the remainder of the 2020/21 school year.
Extensive support and advice for teachers and schools to provide remote learning has been, and continues to be made available through my Department’s support service, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and its Technology in Education team at www.pdsttechnologyineducation.ie The information on this website includes a link to a dedicated PDST portal https://www.pdst.ie/DistanceLearning aimed at supporting teachers and schools in the remote learning environment. This resource includes information on popular communication and learning platforms, digital tools and resources, video conferencing, webinars to support and inspire teachers to identify good practice and a dedicated online course for teachers for remote learning. The Department funded referral and repository 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.
Schools can also apply to www.pdst.ie/schoolsupport for the assistance of a PDST advisor for tailored school support in all subject areas at Primary and Post-Primary levels including those pertaining to the use of Digital Technologies to support remote teaching, learning and assessment practices. The PDST Leadership team will also be available to support school leaders in leading remote teaching and learning process through school support, national programmes and localised networks
