Colm Burke
Ceist:131. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if the summer provision programme will continue in its expanded role; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13353/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 9 March 2022
Ceisteanna (131, 132)
Colm Burke
Ceist:132. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Education if there are figures for the number of pupils who benefitted from the summer provision programme in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13354/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together.
My Department ran an expanded summer education programme for Summer 2021, as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under this expansion, students with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage had access to an enhanced summer programme of education. The total funding available to provide the programme was €40 million, which was a one hundred per cent increase on the allocation for summer provision in 2020.
The programme’s aims were to support pupils to re-engage with education, to build their confidence and increase their motivation, promote wellbeing and for some who are at key transition stages, help to ensure they could move on to their planned educational placement for the start of the next school year along with their peers.
For the first time ever, all schools (primary and-post primary) were encouraged to provide summer programmes and the eligibility criteria was extended to include post-primary children with complex needs and children at risk of educational disadvantage. Prior to this expansion, summer programmes were only available to special schools and pupils in special classes in primary schools and in DEIS schools. This resulted in 945 schools participating in the overall programme, a rise of 72% over 2021. 24,656 pupils participated in the 2021 school-based programme, an increase of 85% over 2020.
A home-based summer programme continued to be available for children with complex needs where their schools are not providing a school based programme. A total of 13,321 students availed of the home-based programme, an increase of 35% on 2020.
Overall, 37,977 pupils participated in the 2021 summer programme across both home and school-based elements, which represented an increase of 65% on participation in the 2020 programme.
Planning work for the 2022 summer programme is ongoing and my Department will be consulting with education partners in the coming weeks. The aim for this year is to make the programmes as accessible as possible, particularly to continue attract more schools to run the school-based programme, but also to make the overall experience simpler for parents, teachers and schools. As part of the consultation and planning process my Department are looking at what worked well in 2021 and what can be improved on for 2022.
Question No. 132 answered with Question No. 131.