Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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100. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department is providing supports for children progressing from sixth class to first year; if he will consider a national graduation day for those students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10373/20]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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My Department is taking a number of actions to minimise the impact on schools due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

A range of guidance was published to assist schools and teachers while out of school. This guidance issued to schools to support the continuity of teaching and learning, to support those with special educational needs, to support those at risk of educational disadvantage and to support the wellbeing of students. This guidance was developed in consultation with all relevant stakeholders and there is ongoing consultation with the management bodies and unions from both sectors on all matters relating to Covid 19, which will continue for the foreseeable future.

Schools adopted various ways to engage with their students in accordance with the technology and broadband resources available in school and at home, including by post, e-mails, communication apps, the school website, use of other digital communicative platforms, including live meetings. Schools were asked to be conscious of pupils who may not have access to online facilities and to adapt approaches so that these pupils continued to have the opportunity to participate in learning.

The aim of these distant learning approaches, the guidance which issued to all schools and the regular engagement with students, was to ensure that students stayed connected with and progressed their learning. These actions will, therefore, have helped to minimise the impact of school closure and assist pupils/students in the making of transitions.

In the context of planning for a return to school which is underway, my Department is, inter alia, considering the curriculum, i.e. what needs to be put in place to support ongoing progression for learners and addressing any shortfall that may result from school closures.

In relation to learners currently in sixth class, it is important that pupils/students move on with their peers and continue to the next stage of their education. The guidance that issued to primary schools on 28th May includes information on managing transitions including the move from primary to post-primary school. It sets out how existing resources such as the Education Passport, NEPs Continuum of Support and the Home School Liaison Officers in DEIS schools can be utilised. Communication between the primary and post primary schools and with the parents and children is of utmost importance in order to ensure progression is as seamless as possible.

Transitions are being further considered by the Department as part of the return to school advice which will issue to primary and post-primary schools in the coming months. This includes guidance in relation to the wellbeing of our students and school management and staff in order to support successful re-engagement with teaching and learning and will include a focus on transitions.

Many schools hold graduation ceremonies for pupils leaving sixth class each year. While it will not be possible for schools to carry these out in the traditional format, some schools are marking the occasion remotely, by hosting virtual meetings for the pupils or prerecording videos that can be sent to them to celebrate their time in school. Certificates of achievement, photo stories, scrapbooks and other memorabilia can also form part of the celebration.

My Department is acutely aware of the challenges faced by students at this difficult time, and how the current circumstances will continue to present challenges into the future. The welfare of students is, and will continue to be, front and centre in all decision making. My department will continue to be guided by the most up to date information from the National Public Health Emergency Team.