Dáil debates

Wednesday, 3 March 2021

Reopening Schools and Leaving Certificate Examinations: Statements

 

5:25 pm

Photo of Paul DonnellyPaul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In June 2019 Jack was diagnosed with autism and sensory issues. He is four and a half years old and attends a mainstream playschool. Jack has never received any early intervention. Jack needed early intervention speech therapy and occupational therapy and has not received one hour of support. His official report states Jack must attend a mainstream school and mainstream primary school with full access to an SNA as he learns from his peers and it is critical to his development to be around neurotypical children. Jack's mother has already been informed that it is highly unlikely they will get access to an SNA as there are a number of children with much more significant additional needs than him.

The lockdowns have had a catastrophic effect on his progress and he has unfortunately regressed quite a lot. It was hoped that due to missing quite a significant period of his second year ECCE programme, and on the recommendations of his teachers and health professionals, that Jack would get an exemption and be allowed to complete another year of playschool. Unfortunately, this will not be the case and Jack has been refused an exemption based solely on his age. This is simply unacceptable. He deserves to have the best chance at education. Right now we have a child who was thriving in playschool but had precious important months robbed from him due to the pandemic. Multiple professionals have stated he is mentally, physically or emotionally not ready for the challenge of primary school. We are still in a pandemic; these are exceptional times and we have reacted to this with exceptional measures. I appeal to the Minister to intervene and deal with this case as an exception. I urge the Minister and the Department to change their mind and allow Jack to stay in his current placement and attend mainstream school next year, when he will still be six years of age.

The pandemic has also exposed a significant disadvantage that many children face on their educational journey. I recently held a meeting of community organisations in Dublin West and each and every one of them mentioned the issue of digital poverty and digital disadvantage. There is a significant cohort of students who have been disadvantaged during the past 12 months. Dr. Selina McCoy, a researcher with the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, said she found evidence of a digital divide between private schools and the rest of the school system during the school closures last year. This digital divide has had a direct but also wider impact when a subset of students lacks connectivity or must rely on inadequate access to services.

I welcome the Minister's initial answer to a previous question around the school completion programme. I worked for a school completion programme for 16 years and during the recession the service's funding was unfortunately absolutely savaged and it is simply not good enough for it to go back to where it was back in 2008, 2009 or 2010. We need significant investment for students in disadvantaged areas.

Finally, I raise the issue of substitute teachers and concerns from principals around the serious lack of availability in Dublin 15 and I presume in Dublin 7 and the rest of the State in the coming weeks as schools are returning and the advice that pregnant teachers may choose to return to school or continue to teach remotely. There were principals scrambling around last week making calls trying to get cover. What are the plans to help and support schools to face this problem, especially in the coming weeks as we return to full capacity?

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.