Marian Harkin (Sligo-Leitrim, Independent)
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I thank the witnesses for their presentations today. I want to focus on the challenges that teachers and schools face in trying to provide quality inclusive education. I have read the witnesses' documents and I agree with many of their asks. Many of them are practical, day-to-day asks. They include issues like teachers having substitution to go to another special needs class. How are we to get experienced teachers if they cannot gain experience? There is a lot of that there. Those kinds of things can be delivered. Ms Leydon spoke about the importance of early intervention which underpins everything. That is the big picture. The witnesses have dealt with both the day-to-day and the big picture very well in their documents.

I have one other comment before I come to my two questions. A number of Deputies have commented this. There is a narrative that schools are not co-operating perhaps as well as they should. We need to dig deeper on this. This is not just about financial resources. It is about qualified personnel that can provide quality education and committed teachers. Deputy Ó Cathasaigh asked a good question. He spoke about a career pathway for those teachers. That needs to be looked at. We are in the middle of transformational change.

Ms Leydon said that we are good at starting things but this a matter of moving it on to the next step. Transformational change requires support at so many different levels. While schools have a responsibility to provide for students in their area, we should not underestimate the challenge involved. I have spoken to many teachers about the challenges they face. If there are six students in a class, four of those students might be non-verbal. There is a huge range of abilities. There can be very bright children in those classes. The teacher has to be able to understand how each of those individual children learn. We often do not understand how demanding it is for those teachers to do a good job. That needs to be recognised. I do not say that because I am a former teacher, because the truth is that I did not do half of that, but I know many teachers who do. I wanted to make those comments.

I have two questions. I asked the Minister earlier about teacher training. I did not refer to ongoing development but to actual training of teachers and to whether it has been reoriented sufficiently. This is so that when young teachers come into schools and all teachers to have broad view of what inclusive quality education is. This is also for teachers who want to specialise. Do the witnesses feel that there needs to be any change there?

My second question is on the July provision. The Chair has spoken about this and about Early Childhood Care and Education, ECCE, staff. I want the witnesses’ views on qualified childcare practitioners being involved in the July provision. We all received many emails from parents. I am not putting it too strongly when I say that they distressed beyond words this summer because, although many children might get it, their child cannot access it. What changes would the witnesses like to happen so that this can happen next year and so that the children who need it can get it? This is other than the pay change which we spoke about and I fully agree with. This is specifically around ECCE staff.