Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 10 March 2022
157. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the new ESRI report, Children of migrants in Ireland: how are they faring?; the steps that she will take to provide additional language supports for children with migrant parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13317/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) uses a problem-solving and solution-oriented consultative approach to support schools to meet the needs of individual pupils. NEPS works through the Department of Education’s Continuum of Support framework. NEPS psychologists can provide advice and guidance to school 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.
In Ireland, the model for allocating special education teacher to schools was introduced for all mainstream primary and post-primary schools in 2017, and updated in 2019. It is designed to distribute teaching resources fairly to schools, taking the needs of each school into account, as indicated by a set of key data indicators. The model provides all schools with a baseline teaching allocation to assist current and future pupils with learning and literacy difficulties, including those arising from English Additional Language (EAL) needs.
In primary schools, standardised test scores, on which part of the profile is based, reflects where pupils have literacy problems. In post-primary schools, Junior Certificate examination data in English and mathematics represent literacy and numeracy achievement scores and have been applied in a graduated manner to create a value for each school. The profiled allocation therefore takes account of a school’s literacy needs, including where these literacy needs arise due to language difficulties/EAL needs. Further language support is also provided, as necessary, to schools that have high concentrations of pupils that require language (EAL) support. At primary level, these allocations are made on the basis of appeals by schools to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board.
