James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This Government can be very proud of the support it has shown to Ukraine and to Ukrainians who have come here. We offer some of the best supports of any country in the European Union. Our supports in the educational system have, quite frankly, been extraordinary. Few other countries in Europe can show the level of integration and supports that have been provided to Ukrainian children in Ireland. I have visited several other European countries to see and hear about the supports they have provided. The Government is very much aware that children and young people whose mother tongue is neither English nor Irish and whose home language is different from the language of the instruction of the school, especially those from Ukraine, may have particular language learning needs. The Government is proud of the fact that our educational system, schools, teachers and education partners continue to respond to the needs of these students who have particular language learning requirements.

I have outlined some of the supports that the Department provides to schools in their immediate responses to children and young people, especially those from Ukraine. They take into account the needs of students including, where appropriate, EAL. As part of its remit, the SEC provides the RACE scheme in order to support with a complex variety of special educational needs. This scheme assists students who have special educational needs to demonstrate what they know and can do in certificate examinations without compromising the integrity of the assessment and ensuring fairness for all students. Earlier, I outlined the accommodations under the RACE scheme for students for whom English is an additional language but who do not have special educational needs.

In the context of teaching and learning, the primary resource to inform teaching and learning for all children and young people, including those with EAL needs, is the curriculum from primary school right up to senior cycle in post-primary schools. Additional resources are designed to complement the curriculum. Teaching and learning resources are available from the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, the National Educational Psychological Service and Oide, which is a support service for teachers and school leaders. Post-Primary Languages Ireland provides a dedicated resource in this regard as well.

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