Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCeann Comhairle agus leis na Teachtaí uilig atá i láthair linn arís inniu chun an t-ábhar oideachais a phlé agus an díospóireacht iontach tábhachtach seo a bheith againn anois. I am happy to be in the House again to provide a further update on our work programme. I want to focus on three particular areas, namely, the leaving certificate and preparations for the calculated grades system, the planning under way for reopening the education and training sector, particularly schools, and the delivery of educational provision to students with special educational needs during the summer period.

I announced on 8 May that all students are to be offered the option of receiving calculated grades for the subjects they are studying and the alternative of sitting the 2020 leaving certificate examinations at a date in the future when it is considered safe to hold them. I updated the House last week on developments in that regard. There has been significant work undertaken within my Department, working in close collaboration with education partners, and the executive office approved by the Government to operate the calculated grades system has been established. A number of staff from the State Examinations Commission with relevant expertise have already been seconded to my Department and further secondments are expected as the calculated grades system becomes operational.

I am delighted to announce in the Chamber that Dr. Áine Lawlor, former director of the Teaching Council, has agreed to chair the independent steering committee on calculated grades. The committee will oversee the process of implementation of calculated grades from the perspective of quality assurance and integrity. We are continuing to work with stakeholders on the key issues, including through the advisory group on State examinations. That group met last week and will meet again this Friday, and its members have continued to engage with my Department between meetings. This collaboration and intense work, including by my officials, has meant that the detailed guidance material will issue to schools tomorrow. I am very conscious of the importance of this guide for schools, teachers, principals, parents and students to provide certainty and clarity. Over the past number of days, through engagement and discussions with all involved, we have made significant progress on finalising this guidance material and issuing it as a priority.

I again acknowledge the contribution the members of the advisory group and all the educational stakeholders have made to the process so far. The group remains in place and will continue to meet as we bring forward the school component of the calculated grades model. I have today answered a range of written parliamentary questions about how different aspects of the calculated grades system will operate. The detailed guidance to teachers and principals addresses many of the detailed aspects of how a teacher will determine an estimated mark in a particular subject.

There is one issue, which has come up in a lot of the questions, on which it is important to be clear. The guidance makes it clear that the estimated mark is not based on a student's performance in any mock examination undertaken in his or her school or on his or her junior cycle results. The estimated mark is informed by a teacher's professional judgment and available evidence can be used to support the estimation of a mark. Once a teacher has completed the stage of establishing an estimated mark for each student, those marks will then be considered as part of a school alignment process. It is vitally important that teachers' professional judgment, the in-school process and the application of a national standard all work together to provide each student with a result that is fair and equitable.

Since I last addressed the House, we have moved into phase 1 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business. In the education sector, this means that schools and other educational buildings can open for access by teachers for the organisation and distribution of remote learning. These are welcome developments and reflect the progress we have been making as a society in suppressing the virus. The Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business envisages commencement of a reopening of schools and educational institutions from the beginning of the next academic year in September. Planning in this regard is now under way in consultation with stakeholders and having regard to the experience of other countries.

Managing the reopening of our education system is a massive logistical operation that needs to be carefully planned and managed. Given the diversity in school and education settings, one size fits all will not apply.

We are talking about a system with more than 1 million learners and facilities ranging from small schools to multi-campus higher education institutions. Schools and other education institutions are also workplaces for more than 110,000 people, and the national return to work safely protocol has to be a factor in our future planning. The key to a safe and continued return to work requires strong communication and a shared collaborative approach between employers and workers. Schools will require clear guidance and early clarity on key issues so they can start planning at a local level.

In planning for the reopening of schools, the Department's approach to managing the public health aspects of the reopening and operation of schools will be based on ongoing health advice, and we will continue to engage with expert groups to strive to ensure our plans for the reopening of schools reflect the most up-to-date advice available. There may be different scenarios for reopening schools depending on the prevailing health advice, ranging from the attendance of a small number of students at any given time to a full return. There may be a need for phasing of different approaches. All issues need to be considered in looking at these scenarios, including implications for the curriculum, for teaching and learning and for those at risk of educational disadvantage and those with special educational needs. Our most vulnerable students must and will be a focus for our priorities as we plan for the future.

The Department is engaging with all stakeholders to develop a plan to reopen schools. All primary and post-primary stakeholders have been invited to make submissions to the Department on the issues to be considered from their perspectives. In addition, a meeting of the primary education forum took place last week and a meeting with post-primary stakeholders took place today. Ongoing meetings with stakeholders will be arranged as the Roadmap for Reopening Schools is developed. In addition to the education stakeholders, wider consultation is needed with other parties, including Bus Éireann, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, the National Transport Authority, NTA, the HSE and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Similar processes are happening in the tertiary sector, and my Department is engaging with stakeholders in that regard.

We have also been looking closely at the experience of other countries. I attended a virtual meeting of EU ministers of education on Monday to hear the experience of my colleagues on the steps they are taking. Yesterday, I also spoke with my counterpart in London, Gavin Williamson, on the common challenges we face. Schools continue to be best placed to make decisions on how to support and educate all their learners during this period. Consideration of the types of experiences that schools will be able to offer in the new school year and how remote or online learning can support and complement the teaching and learning that takes place in the classroom will be required. In addition, continued support will be required where students cannot attend school.

I am particularly concerned about the impact of school closures on students with special educational needs and disadvantaged students. I want to see some summer provision for these students. Public health advice will be key to achieving this, and I am looking at what potential there might be for the running of existing programmes supporting children at the greatest risk of educational disadvantage. My Department is working closely with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and Tusla on this issue, and I will be meeting the Minister for Health in the coming days.

I am very aware that this closure of schools has impacted hardest on families who have children with complex needs and whose well-being and engagement with learning depend very much on the routine of school and relationships with other students, teachers and special needs assistants, SNAs. They have also lost out on specialist support during this closure period. I am conscious of the real risk of regression in learning among these children. I know their families place a high value on the traditional July provision programme. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 health crisis, it is not possible to deliver the normal July provision programme in the same way and at the same time as in other years.

We are, however, exploring all options for a programme to run over the summer for children with the most complex needs. First, I need to be satisfied that the public health advice will support the running of such a provision. It must be safe to do it. Second, we need teachers, SNAs and schools to be in a position to do this. We have to be sure that teachers and SNAs are going to be able to provide a summer programme and that the necessary precautions to safeguard them properly can be put in place. Finally, while many parents will welcome the possibility of a summer programme, they too will have a real and genuine concern for the welfare of their children. We will need to engage closely with parents to ensure they will want to avail of such a programme.

The primary aim of any programme will be to limit potential regression and learning, thereby ensuring, in so far as possible, that these children can reintegrate and transition into their planned education setting for next year with their peers.

It is hoped to deliver this programme in July or August, public health advice permitting. The participation of schools, teachers and SNAs is critically necessary and it is for them to decide whether they wish to participate. I have already commenced consultations with stakeholders on the nature and scope of the proposed programme and these will continue for the next few weeks. Earlier today, I met AsIAm, Down Syndrome Ireland and the National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education. We had a very fruitful conversation and the importance of trying to do something while recognising the challenges involved made a big impression on me. Due to a communication difficulty, Inclusion Ireland did not participate but I will speak directly to it tomorrow.

Conversations such as that and our debate this evening are very beneficial in informing thinking in this area. It is important that stakeholders contribute such that any programme developed is relevant and meets the needs of children. As I stated at the outset, a significant amount of work is continuing in the education sector, with my Department leading and facilitating stakeholder engagement in the planning of our responses in various areas. We will continue to listen to proposals and concerns from stakeholders and to work collaboratively for all students.

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