Written answers

Thursday, 7 December 2017

Department of Education and Skills

Home Tuition Scheme

Photo of Denise MitchellDenise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with autism spectrum disorder and similar conditions who have been granted home tuition; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52386/17]

Photo of Denise MitchellDenise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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80. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to centralise the home tutor selection and allocation process. [52387/17]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 79 and 80 together.

The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide a compensatory educational service for

(a) Early educational intervention for children with autism who meet the schemes eligibility criteria

(b) Students with special educational needs seeking an educational placement in a recognised school

(c) Students, enrolled in schools, with significant medical conditions which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school

The preferred approach is that children are educated in school settings where children may have access to fully qualified teachers, individualised education programmes, special needs assistants, school curriculum with the option, where possible and appropriate, of full or partial integration and interaction with other students.

Accordingly, Home Tuition is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement.

In relation to the early intervention strand of the scheme, the Home Tuition Grant is provided for children aged between 2.5 and 3 years of age with an ASD diagnosis.

When these children reach the age of 3 they will be eligible to enrol in a state supported early intervention or preschool setting. Home Tuition is provided for children with ASD over 3 years of age (who will not reach the age of 6 during the 2016/17 school year), who meet the schemes eligibility criteria, and for whom an early intervention placement is not available, as confirmed by the NCSE.

Children with Special Educational Needs, including those with ASD, who are over the age of four may avail of Home tuition where a school placement is not available as confirmed by the NCSE, through the local Special Education Needs Organiser (SENO).

My Department sanctioned home tuition grants for 1,038 children with ASD in the 2016/17 school year. A breakdown of these children by age is provided in Table 1 below.  

Table 1. Home Tuition Grants for Children with ASD 2016/17 school year

AgeNo. of Children
2.5-3 Years182
3 - 5 years (incl. 131 children who turned 3 during school year) 798
6 years and over58
Total1,038

The Home Tuition grant scheme allows Parents/guardians to engage eligible tutors for the provision of Home Tuition in a private arrangement. 

As tuition takes place outside the usual school structure it is important that the educational programme provided generally reflects that which would be provided in a school environment.

It is appropriate therefore that the qualification standard for Home Tuition generally reflects that required in a school environment. Accordingly, it is a condition of the scheme that parents/guardians must recruit a tutor who is qualified in the relevant sector, and is registered with the Teaching Council, similar to the requirement for teachers in schools. 

Where all efforts have failed to secure the services of a teacher qualified to teach in the sector concerned, the Department may consider the engagement of a person who is registered with the Teaching Council and has a primary degree (minimum Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in a relevant area.

As it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to source a tutor to provide tuition for their child, tutors do not have a contractual relationship with my Department.This Department acts solely as a payroll agent on behalf of the parent/guardian by issuing the home tuition grant directly to the approved tutor.

I have no plans at present to change this arrangement.

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