Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 June 2020
246. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Education and Skills if socially distanced graduations for sixth class students can or cannot be held in summer 2020 in view of Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12481/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe final months of the academic year are a time of excitement and occasion, as schools try to celebrate the end of the school year and begin to prepare for the new one. The traditional rites of passage for sixth class pupils include extra-curricular and co-curricular activities as well as ceremonies to mark the end of the school year. These have not been possible this year in the traditional format due to the Covid19 crisis which has seen our schools closed since 12th March.
Schools can continue to hold end of year graduation ceremonies for sixth class students, however it will not be possible for schools to carry these out in the traditional format. Schools are exploring ways of marking the occasion remotely, by hosting virtual meetings for the pupils or prerecording videos that can be sent to them to celebrate their time in school. Certificates of achievement, photo stories, scrapbooks and other memorabilia can also form part of the celebration. The core objective of any decision for holding a ceremony, is that any activity is operated in a safe manner and must adhere to public health advice and the government's road map for reopening society and business.
https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Information/National-Emergencies-Public-Health-Issues/guidance-on-continuity-of-schooling-primary.pdf
Separate guidance has also been issued by the Department in relation to sixth class transitions https://www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/National-Educational-Psychological-Service-NEPS-/sixth-class-transitions-during-covid-19-school-closures.pdf
