Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 March 2024
221. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Education the date on which she last issued a circular to school principles and BOMs at primary and secondary school level in respect of group messaging services used by students to communicate regarding official school activities and non-school activities. [11359/24]
View answerIn November 2020, circular 0074/2020 issued to all schools advising school principals of the requirement to put in place appropriate contingency measures, to include a Communication and Learning Platform, to ensure that there would be continuity of teaching and learning in the event of a full or partial school closure. While those circumstances are no longer envisaged, such platforms remain relevant to assist in the meaningful, mediated usage of digital technology in teaching and learning, and to facilitate school administration and communication. Decisions as to the specific platforms to implement are a matter for the management of each school, to reflect their own requirements and environment.
Extensive support and advice for teachers and schools to assist in the embedding of digital technologies in teaching and learning is made available through my Department’s support service, Oide (formally the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST)) and its Technology in Education team at Online Learning - Oide Technology in Education .
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’s Education website 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.
In addition, to other relevant school policies including the Disciplinary Policy and In line with having such a communications platform in place, all schools are expected to have an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) in place that sets rights, privileges, responsibilities and sanctions associated with the use of the internet for school purposes including the use of smart phones and personal devices. The Policy is drawn up by school leaders, teachers and management and generally in consultation with parents. Supports for schools on the drawing up of this policy are available on webwise.ie
The Digital Strategy for Schools to 2027, promotes the development of digital literacy in our young people and the importance of respectful online communications. The Strategy will advance the embedding of digital technologies across teaching, learning and assessment, building on the work under previous strategies. It aims to further support the school system so that all students across our schools have the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills they need to navigate an ever-evolving digital world successfully.
