Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022
158. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education the supports that have been provided to DEIS schools and their staff and pupils in order to assist with learning during Covid-19 pandemic, particularly with online learning; the measures that will be taken to assist online learning going forward in these schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4609/22]
View answerDEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department to address educational disadvantage at school level. In the 2021/22 academic year there are 884 schools in the DEIS Programme - 687 Primary and 197 Post Primary, serving over 180,000 pupils. This represents approximately 20% of the overall school population. The total Department spend on DEIS in 2021 was over €150 million, which includes over €26 million for the School Completion Programme (SCP).
Budget 2022 has allocated the largest-ever increase in funding for the DEIS programme, providing for an additional allocation of €18 million in 2022 (€32 million over a full year) which will enable an expansion in 2022 of the DEIS programme to further schools. This means that by 2023 the Irish Government will target over €180 million at addressing educational disadvantage through the DEIS programme, an increase of 20% on the 2021 allocation.
The full list of supports provided to DEIS schools is available at: www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/4018ea-deis-delivering-equality-of-opportunity-in-schools/#supports-to-deis-schools.
A number of supports were provided by my Department since March 2020 to help DEIS schools mitigate the adverse impacts of Covid-19 on student learning loss and wellbeing arising from the periods of school closures in 2020 and 2021 and to support students most at risk of educational disadvantage.
During the Covid-19 pandemic my Department 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.
The DEIS grant for the 2020/21 school year was paid ahead of schedule to all DEIS schools to help support students who were most at risk of educational disadvantage during the Covid-19 school closures. Schools were able to use this grant funding, if required, to support existing programmes to ensure continuity of learning, particularly for those most at risk.
In 2020, and again in 2021, all DEIS schools were provided with the opportunity to run a summer programme as a response to the challenges faced by schools due to school closures under Covid 19. Schools were asked to identify those students at greatest risk of educational disadvantage to participate in the programme.
In September last, I announced a Covid Learning and Support Scheme (CLASS) to help schools mitigate the adverse impacts of Covid-19 on student learning loss and wellbeing arising from the periods of school closures in 2020 and 2021. Provision is being made for up to €52 million in extra teaching hours for schools during the current school year. Under the programme, a block of additional teaching hours is being provided to each recognised school. Enhanced allocations are provided under CLASS for DEIS schools. DEIS Schools may use the additional teaching hours in accordance with the needs of their students. This will enable DEIS schools to identify students most at risk of learning loss arising from the recent disrupted school experience and put in place specific targeted teaching supports to meet these students’ needs.
Under the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 funding of €210m issued to all recognised primary and post-primary schools, with a 10% weighting applied to schools in the DEIS programme, that is, those with concentrated levels of disadvantage. This included €100m that issued in 2020 to support schools in the continuity of teaching and learning during the pandemic. Schools were advised that this funding could be used to support learners through the provision of devices on loan, for example.
€50m issued in 2021, to continue to support schools to manage requirements arising owing to the pandemic during COVID-19 as well as the ongoing embedding of the use of digital technologies in teaching and learning. The funding can be used within schools to support learners who were impacted during the period of disruption and change caused by the pandemic. In instances where social distancing means classes may need to be dispersed to other spaces in the school, the funding can be used to provide digital equipment to allow for delivery of lessons and online learning. Schools can also use the funding to support remote or blended learning should it be necessary for a class or group, or high risk individual where isolation is necessary for a limited period.
It should also be noted that this funding will be a key enabler of my Department’s new Digital Strategy for Schools which is under development currently. Consultation on the new Strategy has now concluded, and involved an open call for submission, questionnaires to principals, teachers, parents and students, and focus groups involving key stakeholders including those from the charity sector, to inform the new Strategy.
My Department secured €50m in funding under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and that funding issued to schools in December 2021. Under the terms of the Scheme, funding issued directly to all recognised primary, special and post-primary schools in the free education schemes in 2021. Under the scheme schools are required to target the funding to support for pupils and student at risk of educational disadvantage arising from the digital divide. Schools in the DEIS programme received twice the allocation on the basis of the known level of concentrated disadvantage in DEIS schools.
My Department also received funding under Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan for a project to provide all remaining primary schools with high speed broadband connectivity by end 2022/early 2023. This project will supplement delivery of high speed broadband alongside delivery under the National Broadband Plan and commercial provision through the Schools Broadband Programme. This will ensure parity of access to appropriate broadband across all schools in the country.
In terms of measures to further support online digital learning, extensive support and advice for teachers and schools to provide remote learning is available through the Professional Development Service for Teachers and its Technology in Education team. The Department funded Scoilnet portal which contains a wealth of curriculum tagged resources that can be used by teachers, students and parents to support the use of digital in teaching and learning.
