Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2020
501. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education and Skills the supports that will be put in place for national schools (details supplied) with regard to children attending from a local direct provision centre; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14745/20]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to supporting all schools in enrolling children residing in accommodation centres operated by the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS), under the system known as direct provision, in a fair and transparent manner.
All pupils enrolled qualify for capitation grants; pro-rata capitation is also provided for each pupil enrolled after 30th September, provided the child was not previously enrolled in a school in the State.
The Special Education Teaching allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. The Special Education Teacher allocation allows schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools and for schools to deploy resources based on each pupil’s individual learning needs. It gives greater flexibility to schools as to how they can deploy their resources, to take account of the actual learning needs pupils have, as opposed to being guided by a particular diagnosis of disability, and schools are guided as to how they should make such allocation decisions.
My Department has published guidelines for schools as to how they should utilise and deploy their resources under the new allocation model, which are available at www.education.ie.
The guidelines support schools in how they identify pupils for additional teaching support and decide how much support to provide for pupils who need it.
In addition to the above, procedures are in place if schools can demonstrate that they have high concentrations of pupils requiring English as an Additional Language (EAL) support. Schools can lodge an appeal to the Staffing Appeals Board for a review of staffing allocation for EAL support in accordance with the procedures set out in the primary (0018/20) school staffing schedule circulars.
My Department’s National Educational Psychological Service works through a problem solving and solution oriented consultative approach to support schools to identify and meet the needs of individual pupils. NEPS psychologists can provide advice and guidance to Principals and teachers in relation to individual students’ needs and in the development of whole school approaches to support inclusion, participation and integration. In addition, NEPS psychologists support schools to implement early-intervention and prevention programmes, such as The Incredible Years Programme in Primary Schools and resilience building programmes, such as the FRIENDS Programmes at Primary and Post Primary levels. Should the schools, to whom the Deputy refers in his question, have concerns in relation to the social, emotional or educational development of any of their pupils it remains open to them to raise these issues with their assigned NEPS psychologist with a view to the psychologist becoming directly involved with the pupil, where appropriate.
The purpose of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Needs is to provide a reasonable level of transport service for children with a diagnosed disability and/or special educational need. My Department allocates funding to schools to enable them to employ escorts on school transport services, these escorts are specifically engaged by the schools to cater for children with special educational needs whose care requirements are such as to necessitate continuous support. While the children who were sanctioned the assistance of a school bus escort continue to remain on their existing services, my Department will continue to provide funding for the escorts appointed to continue to remain on these services with the child who has special educational needs.
