Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

169. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will review a proposal (details supplied) for teacher training to help raise awareness among teachers of specific illnesses children may have, which need careful monitoring and attention during school hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40891/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Under the provisions of the Education Act 1998, the board of management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. Schools are required to take all reasonable precautions to ensure the safety and welfare of their pupils.

It is important that the school management authority requests parents to ensure that the school is made aware of any medical condition suffered by any pupil attending. Where the school is aware of potential difficulties that may arise as a consequence of a medical condition suffered by one or more pupils, it may be possible for the management authorities, working in conjunction with the parents, teachers and children to put preventative measures in place to lessen the possibility of any difficulties arising or to ensure that, if a pupil suffers from an illness requiring medication, appropriate treatment is available.

As the Deputy may be aware, the administration of medicines in primary schools is the subject of an agreement between the Irish National Teachers Organisation and the organisations representing school management at primary level. While this agreement specifies that no teacher can be required to administer medicine or drugs to pupils, it also sets out procedures that must be followed where a teacher or teachers agree to do so.

I also wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from schools for special educational needs supports, including the allocation of Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools, for children who have care needs to the extent that SNA support is required to assist them to attend school.

The Deputy may also wish to note that Kilkenny Education Centre and the Health and Safety Authority, together with my Department developed Guidelines on Managing Safety, Health and Welfare in Primary Schools which were launched earlier this year. The Guidelines are intended as a single comprehensive guidance document and toolkit that reflects current legislative requirements and best practice. The network of education centres offer seminars on the Guidelines by trained facilitators to school principals, teachers or members of boards of management who have a responsibility or interest in health and safety. Attendance at these seminars is not compulsory.

At pre-service level, the five State-funded colleges of education for primary teaching aim to prepare student teachers to meet the diverse needs of all their pupils. The issue of medical conditions is covered during primary initial teacher education in lectures dealing with preparation for school placement.