Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach agus leis na Teachtaí uilig as an seans labhairt leo arís inniu ar chúrsaí oideachais agus na dúshláin atá ann ina leith.

I take this opportunity to provide an update on the planned summer provision and the preparatory work towards reopening our schools. When I was last in the House I advised that I would bring a report on both subjects to Cabinet on 12 June. I will now update Deputies on the position since I brought that report to Cabinet.

I have previously stated that it was a priority to have summer provision this year. Since my last appearance in this Chamber, I have launched Summer Provision 2020 - Reconnecting with Education, which comprises a number of summer programmes focusing on children with special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. Since the launch last Friday week, we have had a very strong response. Two hundred schools have registered to run the school-based summer education programme and 36 schools, 35 of which will also run the school-based programme, have registered to participate in the HSE-led programme of support for children with complex needs. It is estimated that 3,400 children will benefit from this school-based programme. Almost 9,200 children are registered for the home-based programme.

On the DEIS summer programme, 210 primary schools have expressed an interest in participating, which is an increase on the 72 schools which were already signed up for summer camps. At post-primary level, 14 schools have registered, with a number of others considering participating in this new programme. In addition, over 230 SNAs are working with families as part of their temporary assignment to the HSE. This level of response is welcome. It is a real demonstration of the commitment of local schools to their local communities. The willingness of principals, teachers and SNAs to answer the call to support their students following what has been an unprecedented period of uncertainty for these students and their families is fantastic. I am sure Deputies will have examples from within their own constituencies of schools rising to this challenge. I note the leadership at Scoil Íosagáin in Buncrana where 70% of the students are signed up to the programme and where there is a maximum return of SNAs and teachers bar one because of health considerations. There is also a willingness on the part of teachers within that school but outside of special educational needs who want to participate to help reconnect the students.

The Government gave the go ahead for the summer provision last Friday week. Since the announcement was made, my Department has had positive engagement with colleagues in the health sector and with the education partners to develop the guidance. Today, I am announcing that further guidance for primary schools involved in delivering summer provision 2020 will be published tomorrow. This follows guidance to primary schools published yesterday on issues such as planning and preparing on returning to school, advice on preventing the spread of the virus, control measures, and dealing with a suspected case. The detailed guidance will support schools in planning and preparing for the programme to support students with disabilities and students attending DEIS summer camps. Many schools had initially sought guidance from my Department before confirming their participation in the schemes. I can confirm that a template for a school Covid-19 response plan has been developed for use by schools in preparing for running the summer programme. This was provided to schools earlier this week. The template can be adapted by schools as their own Covid-19 response plan in the context of reopening for summer provision. The school Covid-19 response plan contains useful information on issues, including planning and preparing for return to school, general advice to prevent the spread of the virus, including handwashing, respiratory hygiene and physical distancing, control measures, including cleaning and use of personal protective equipment, and what to do in respect of a suspected case of Covid-19.

The Covid-19 response plan details the policies and practices necessary for a school to meet the Government's return to work safely protocol, the Department of Education and Skills plan for schools reopening and measures to prevent Covid-19 in the school environment. A helpline has been put in place to assist families of children with special educational needs, provide information on the programmes and help guide them to useful supports. As Deputies are aware, it is my strong preference, the Government's intention and my Department's focus, as well as that of stakeholders with whom we are engaging, is to see a full return to school in late August-early September in line with individual schools' usual timetable. I know of schools that have already communicated to parents and students the date of return after the summer holidays, albeit noting that this will be subject to appropriate arrangements and guidelines which are currently being worked on. It is worth reiterating that we are between nine and ten weeks from the scheduled reopening of schools. This gives us time to continue to consult the public health experts to develop and plan appropriate guidance. It is my ambition, and that of my officials, to work with the education partners to minimise the work involved at an individual school level. Where we can, we will provide centralised support and guidance to schools to enable them to reopen in a safe manner in the new school term.

As a country, we have made real progress in getting the virus under control. We have learned and taken the precautions necessary to protect ourselves, our families, our colleagues and everyone in society. The knowledge about and understanding of the virus is growing all of the time and experience available from each phase of the roadmap as well as what is happening in other countries will help us to get it right for reopening our schools.

The report I brought to Cabinet on 12 June outlines the ambition of the Department to develop a sustainable plan to reopen schools, the overriding objective of which is to protect the health of staff and students while promoting the educational and development needs of the nation's children. The key activities under way include public health advice, which will inform the guidance to be issued tomorrow to support schools that will operate summer provision, and interim public health advice, which will be kept under review to ensure it is informed by the latest evidence on Covid in advance of the reopening of the schools at the end of August. In addition, guidance and templates to enable schools to comply with the requirements of the national return to work safely protocol are being developed centrally in consultation with education partners. There are regular meetings of the primary and post-primary stakeholders to ensure stakeholder views can inform the guidance documents. Meetings are taking place on this every week. There will be further engagement tomorrow with stakeholders.

Guidance on online training modules, webinars, etc., are being developed centrally and will be available for use by schools, parents and students. Resources for return to school will be made available for schools operating a summer programme. Additional resources will be provided to schools to enable enhanced cleaning. The existing handwashing facilities in some schools are not designed for the enhanced level of handwashing envisaged as necessary in the Covid-19 environment without significantly impacting on educational class time. A drawdown framework will be established by the Department to enable schools to purchase hand sanitisers for use in schools and classrooms. The procurement process for this framework is under way and it will also deal with any other potential PPE requirements. It is not envisaged that significant PPE will be required in school settings. Details on funding will be provided in due course. Principals who used their initiative and purchased equipment in the last couple of weeks will be reimbursed in that regard. There will be a strong focus on supporting the mental health and well-being of students and staff in the reopening of schools. Central guidance will be provided. The Department is working with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, the inspectorate and other experts to tailor teaching and learning appropriately to the needs of students as they re-engage with school.

Notwithstanding our overall objective, planning for a blended learning approach online and in school will be a feature of our plan to reopen schools, as there may be circumstances where schools will have to have the necessary agility to respond quickly to changed circumstances at local or regional level. My Department continues to engage closely with education partners and other key stakeholders on the development of guidance and supports for the reopening of schools. A dedicated web page will be provided to enable the sharing of information and updates in an open and transparent manner.

Physical distancing requirements are a function of public health advice intended to reduce the risk of infection at particular times and current guidelines are being kept under review. We have seen the roadmap to reopening society reviewed and in some cases accelerated as that public health advice has evolved. Consideration of other mitigating factors in a school setting and emerging evidence of low infection transmission by children may also mitigate some of the risks considered as part of broader public health advice. We also have to be cognisant that maintaining physical distancing in all situations is not possible or appropriate. In particular, it may not be practical for children who are quite young or have special educational needs. In these situations we need to ensure there are appropriate measures in place to protect children and school staff.

In relation to summer provision, there will not be a requirement for strict social distancing for children with special educational needs as this would be neither practical nor possible. Given the limited number of students attending camps in DEIS schools as part of summer provision in 2020, the requirement for physical distancing should be maintained but this should have no impact on the running of the programme in schools.

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