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Home School Community Liaison Scheme

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2020

Tuesday, 14 July 2020

Ceisteanna (663, 664, 665)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

663. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of hiring ten additional home-school community liaison teachers. [15850/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

664. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of ensuring there is one home-school community liaison teacher for each school currently without such a teacher; and the estimated cost of providing one such teacher for every three and five schools, respectively. [15851/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

665. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education and Skills her views on whether there will be a need for home-school community liaison teachers due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. [15852/20]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 663 to 665, inclusive, together.

Based on an average cost of one Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Coordinator position of circa €55,500, an additional 10 HSCL Coordinators would be in the order of € 555,000.

The HSCL Scheme is a school-based intervention provided to DEIS schools to address the needs of all pupils/families at risk of educational disadvantage through acknowledging and developing the role of the parent as prime educator.

Currently, all DEIS Urban Primary and DEIS Post Primary schools are included in the HSCL Scheme. The scheme is delivered by 415 full-time HSCL Coordinators who are teachers in these schools and assigned to HSCL duties either in individual schools or clusters of schools, catering for approximately 160,000 pupils in 523 schools.

During the Covid 19 school closure period, the teachers of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage in both DEIS and non-DEIS schools have been particularly focussed on ensuring that they provide support to these students. Schools and other education settings have various resources and supports available to them to assist them in meeting the needs of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage. These range from care teams and in-school management teams to the services of NEPS and Tusla Education Support Service (TESS). Schools in the DEIS programme have additional supports provided under the Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Scheme and the School Completion Programme (SCP).

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