Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 14 June 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills

Education and Supports Provision for Displaced Ukrainian Students: Discussion

Ms Meg Ryan:

On the piece in terms of supports for integration, I would just echo what I already said that when it comes to language supports to help a child to fully integrate, that language support should also be extended to the parents because it also removes responsibility where we have some families where a child may have more English than his or her parent. It allows the relationship to level back so that the parent is not dependent on the child to provide translation for things that are beyond his or her responsibility. It is, therefore, about extending these supports and recognising that supporting children often needs to extend to supporting their extended family as well, particularly around help for integration and access to work and jobs. Expanding that access is important.