Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I echo the congratulations to Senator Flynn and Deputies Ó Laoghaire and Pádraig O'Sullivan on their good news.

I thank the committee for the opportunity to update the members on important measures to address the continuing the impact of Covid-19 on the education experience of children and young people. Even though Covid-19 has impacted on all parts of society, we must always remember that some groups have been impacted more than others. Those in society who require additional supports or have particular needs have found the past two years to be more difficult than others have.

Being the Minister of State with responsibility for special education and inclusion at this time has enabled me to bring a particular focus to the challenges faced by children with special needs and those most at risk of educational disadvantage. I have a particular focus on inclusion in school. The issues being discussed today by the committee are very relevant in this context, especially the work of Cork Life Centre, which the Minister has addressed, and include the use of reduced school days by schools and the matter of school bullying, both of which I will talk about later.

As members of this committee are aware, the closure of schools for extended periods over the past two years due to Covid restrictions made accessing education much more difficult for this vulnerable group. We have all heard how remote teaching and learning has been extremely difficult for many children and young people with disabilities.

The break with normal routines, coupled with the absence of the customised teaching and care supports provided in the school environment, deepened the impact of the Covid restrictions on this group of young people and children. I know from my many encounters with young people and their parents, families and advocacy groups that this impact reaches into the families. Young people themselves also bear witness to this impact.

The loss of connection with education, school staff and friends was a real concern for families and schools alike. Notwithstanding the significant investment of €2 billion already being made in special education prior to the pandemic, additional measures were and continue to be required to support this group. I will outline some of these measures developed and put in place by the Minister and me over recent months, which I believe are making a positive difference to the lives of these children and young people who have been most impacted by Covid-19.

Looking back, the Government was correct to prioritise special education in the reopening of schools earlier this year. The supplementary programme, which provided a much needed ongoing connection with education through the provision of in-home tuition or care during the period of school closure earlier this year, was much appreciated by families. I am happy to report that more than 14,000 of the most vulnerable pupils availed of this programme at a cost of more than €10 million. Building on this theme of connection with education, we have an enhanced suite of summer programmes for children with special educational needs and those who are disadvantaged during the vacation period. A fund of €40 million has been provided for this purpose. The level of take up has been very good. I will know in the coming weeks when all of the claims have been processed exactly how many availed of it.

Under the new Covid learning and support programme, CLASS, which the Minister referenced, every school can draw down additional teaching hours based on enrolment during the 2021-22 school year. These hours will be used to support those students who, in the schools' opinion, have been impacted upon most by the disrupted school experience of the past two years. More than €50 million is being set aside for this programme. At this point, I acknowledge the work of schools, teachers and SNAs who have worked together with families and students through the pandemic period to ensure our schools could reopen on a safe and sustainable basis.

There are two other matters on which I would like to update the committee, both of which impact on the inclusion of students in schools. These are the use of reduced school days by schools and school bullying. With regard to the use of reduced school days, I was pleased to announce last week the publication of guidelines in this regard. The guidelines are intended to ensure reduced school days are used in a limited manner and only where absolutely necessary. We have taken into account the experiences outlined by parents and advocacy groups in various fora, including at the joint Oireachtas committee. In addition, we have also taken on board the views expressed by schools and education partners. A fundamental principle is that the consent of parents is central to the process prior to implementation of a reduced school day. The guidelines are also intended to ensure there is a consistency in approach. Where a reduced school day arrangement is put in place, it should be time-bound and a plan to reintegrate the student to full day attendance should form part of the overall process.

We have also committed to ensure robust data collection on the use of reduced school days. The guidelines will be applicable from 1 January 2022. From that date, schools will be required to notify Tusla education support service, TESS, when a reduced school day is being put in place. In the interim, schools are being asked to review arrangements currently in place and, in particular, to review the circumstances of any pupil currently on reduced school days. This will allow time for transition arrangements for pupils and schools.

On school bullying, I echo the sentiments the Minister has expressed. We must foster a school culture based on respect and inclusion for children with special educational needs. When bullying does happen it should be acknowledged and addressed appropriately. To do this, we need to consider bullying in an holistic manner and we need to take a whole school community approach.

I will continue to look at ways to address ongoing issues of concern for the inclusion of children and young people in education. In the budget, I will seek to increase as much as possible the level of resources available for teachers and SNAs so that our children and young people with additional needs will continue to have the necessary supports to get an education, which is their entitlement. This will continue to be my priority.