Lisa Chambers (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing my time with Senator McGreehan. This €375 million package involves more than 1 million students, 100,000 staff and 4,000 schools. I commend the Minister, Deputy Foley, her team and the Government for their effort in putting together what I consider to be a comprehensive and significant plan and investment in our education and schooling system. It is an extraordinary feat when we consider what it took to put this plan together in such a short space of time, which involved engaging with many stakeholders to try to get schools reopen fully for the beginning of the academic year. Each and every one of us is motivated to get schools open because we know the impact being away from school has had on children and families during the pandemic. I am glad to see that this plan not only focuses resources on school facilities and refurbishments but also looks to deal with the well-being and mental health of students, recognising that the pandemic and being away from school has had an adverse impact on children's mental health and well-being. It has also exposed, as Senator Hoey and Senator Flynn have outlined, the mass inequality in our education system. Not every child has equal access to education, not every child experiences the same supports at home, and not every child experienced the lockdown in the same way. Some children found the lockdown a very positive experience having time at home. For other children it was a very difficult time. Schools provide a safe haven for many children and we need to get them back there.

I want to make observations on some of the specific measures outlined in the plan, in particular the minor capital grant of €75 million. That is very welcome but I know the grant will be distributed on the basis of pupil numbers. As someone who comes from a rural constituency, I know that in a small rural school with small classroom sizes it will be difficult to afford some of the refurbishments that are required. I will highlight one example. I will not name the school in question but it will cost it €22,000 to refurbish its toilets and to have the basic cleaning facilities for their pupils. That school will only receive €16,000 so there is a shortfall of €6,000 for the toilet and hand-washing facilities alone. The Minister might look at the situation with regard to small rural schools.

I welcome also the release days for teaching principals. A significant problem is that many principals in small rural schools are teaching principals. That release day will be of huge benefit in terms of allowing them cope with the extra work.

I am aware others have spoken to the Minister about the calculated grade system about which there is significant anxiety. There has been an issue with students who undertook studies outside of school. They have done subjects off their own bat without doing them during school time. I believe they have been disadvantaged in that they will not be given a predictive grade for that particular subject. I ask the Minister to look at that to see if anything can be done for those students. They are small in number but nonetheless they are significant.

In the time the Minister will have once she gets the schools reopened I ask that she might examine the psychological impact of social distancing for younger students. I am aware that students from third class up will be asked to socially distance. I would have concerns around that. They are still very young to be trained and encouraged not to shake hands, not to hug their friends or not to be in close proximity to their friends. I ask the Minister to review that policy in the months ahead.