Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1097. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if she will provide a breakdown of the number of schools that availed of summer provision for each of the years 2017 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40714/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe purpose of the July Provision Scheme was to provide an extended school year for children with a severe or profound general learning disability or children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The scheme was developed to reduce potential regression in learning associated with these specific categories of special education needs over the summer holidays. With regard to the range of years referred to by the Deputy, Special schools and schools with special classes were permitted to run the school-based programme over the years 2017-2020 inclusive.
In 2020 a significantly expanded summer programme was established as a response to COVID-19 with the eligibility criteria widened to include approximately 9,000 additional children with complex needs.
The programme aims were to ensure, in so far as possible, that these children could reintegrate/transition into their planned education setting for the next school year with their peers. As part of this expansion, the Department’s existing Literacy and Numeracy camps for DEIS Primary Band 1 schools was included in the Summer Programme and extended to all DEIS Primary schools. Furthermore, DEIS post-primary schools were given the option of running an inclusion programme for the first time.
In 2021, due to the ongoing pandemic, the government announced a further expanded to the Summer Programme. 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 100% increase on the allocation for summer provision in 2020. The range of programmes on offer built on the success of the expanded programmes that ran in 2020 and incorporated feedback from education stakeholders.
For the first time, all primary schools were given the opportunity to run a 2-3 week inclusion programme, an expansion to all post-primary schools that had been previously only been available in DEIS post-primary schools in 2020. In addition, enhanced supports provided included measures to reduce the administrative burden, provision of funding to schools towards preparation and overseeing of the programmes, earlier payment to school staff and provision to recruit newly qualified teachers to work on the programme.
In May 2022 the details of this year’s summer programme were announced. In line with last year, the total funding available to provide summer programmes this year is up to €40 million. Building on the 2021 programme, all schools, both primary and post-primary, are encouraged to provide this valuable programme to their students. In 2021 nearly 38,000 children availed of the summer programme, an increase of 60% from the previous year.
A key objective of this year’s programme has been to increase the number of schools offering the summer programme to their students. Further steps have been taken to afford schools as much flexibility as possible, and to ease administrative requirements.
An online registration portal was available for schools to register their intentions to participate in this year’s programme with a closing date of 9 June 2022, and it remains open for schools to contact the Department in respect of the Summer Programme. Final details of the schools participating in this year's programme will be available later in the year when all claims have been processed.
Due to the different structures of July Provision and the Summer Programme, the information as requested by the Deputy is broken down to cover the years 2017-2020 and 2021 for the primary and post primary programmes, as well as a separate breakdown of the DEIS Literacy and Numeracy/Campaí Samhraidh over the period 2017-2021.
1. 2017-2020
1a Schools offering the Special Class and Special School Programme
|
Year |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
219 |
239 |
232 |
254 |
1b 2020 – DEIS Post-Primary Schools offering the Inclusion Programme
|
Number of schools |
72 |
2. 2021
2a. Expanded Primary Programme 2021
Note: Some schools ran the Special School and Special Class Programme, as well as the Inclusion Programme
|
Schools ran Primary Inclusion Programme and Special School and Special Class Programme |
Schools ran Primary Inclusion Programme |
Schools ran Special Class and Special School Programme |
|
|
Totals |
156 |
248 |
221 |
2b. Post-Primary Schools offering Inclusion Programme in 2021
|
Number of Schools: |
99 |
3. Number of Literacy and Numeracy Camps (English and Gaeilge) run in DEIS Primary Schools 2017-2021
Note: Commencing in 2021, schools were permitted to run 2 camps
English
|
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
|
Totals |
42 |
42 |
42 |
184 |
201 |
Gaeilge
|
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
|
Totals |
31 |
30 |
30 |
30 |
37 |
