Dáil debates

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Reopening Schools and Leaving Certificate Examinations: Statements

 

5:05 pm

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his questions. If I do not get the opportunity to respond to all the issues he raised, we will certainly revert to him.

Certainly, the Department can revert to Deputy Gannon.

I will first address the issue of mask-wearing for primary school students. The Deputy will appreciate that right from the beginning, as I have said on numerous occasions, from September to December through to now, everything we have done has been on the expert advice of public health officials. At any stage when they have asked us to put in place particular measures, whether halfway through or several weeks in or whatever, we have done so. One example was the wearing of masks for second level students. On their best recommendation that is what we did. They have not recommended mask-wearing for primary school children. Any child is of course free to wear a mask should he or she wish to do so. There is no equivocation on the issue. If it is the expert recommendation of public health officials, then that is exactly what we will do. However, as it stands it has not been their recommendation.

I acknowledge that, as the Deputy is aware, there is an expert advisory group studying the whole issue of ventilation not only in school settings but in all work settings. The group is due to make recommendations in the short term. Prior to the return to school post Christmas we had a full review from a public health point of view of all the measures that were in place in schools, including measures in respect of ventilation. No further recommendations were made other than the recommendations outlined in the full guidelines. Should that change on foot of anything from the expert advisory group, we will be directed by that.

Deputy Gannon made specific reference to the pupil-teacher ratio in classrooms and so on. I can confirm that, as the Deputy is aware, we successfully reduced the pupil-teacher ratio this year. It was an innovation of mine in the budget. I continue to look forward in that respect as well. I believe it is important we always continue to look at the reduction of the pupil-teacher ratio where we can.

The Deputy specifically raised issues around trauma, well-being and how children might be impacted by Covid-19. The National Educational Psychological Service of the Department is developing a range of workshops for the promotion of well-being and resilience in schools, and this includes trauma-informed approaches. The workshops will be available to build the capacity of school staff in primary and post-primary settings, including for school leaders. These workshops will be piloted in schools in the coming months with a view to being rolled out in September as well.

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