Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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160. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the appeals board has considered an application for the appointment of a mainstream class teacher for a school (details supplied) in County Cork. [22818/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Roadmap for Full Return to School set outs the plan for the safe and sustainable reopening of our schools. It has been developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), the Roadmap for Society and Business, and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with education stakeholders including the school management bodies and staff representatives.

My Department is providing capital and current funding of an additional €377 million to support implementation of the roadmap. The supports are comprehensive across a range of areas and involve funding for measures such as PPE, hand sanitisation, enhanced cleaning and hygiene, physical distancing, management supports and substitution provision. It is also recognised that schools may require some reconfiguration works and this is supported by a once off enhanced minor works grant of €75 million to prepare their buildings and classrooms for reopening including an uplift for schools with SEN pupils.

The public health guidance recognises that the ability to achieve 1m physical distancing for junior infants to 2^ndclasses is not a prerequisite for facilitating a full return of all pupils. While there is the requirement for 1m physical distancing for the senior classes (3^rdclass to 6^thclass) schools also have the flexibility to organise their classes into bubbles and pods. The requirement in the public health guidance is for each pod to be 1m apart as distinct from each pupil in the pods.

My Department has published practical guidance for schools to help achieve physical distancing in line with public health advice and include:

- Reconfiguring classroom accommodation through the removal of unnecessary items of furniture, shelving etc.

- Using the largest classrooms for the senior classes

- Reviewing the size of each class so that there is a more even spread of pupils between each class

- Maximising available space within the footprint of the school

- If necessary, look at opportunities for sourcing any nearby accommodation for a large class e.g. parish hall, sports facilities etc. The Department supports same through the minor works grant and additional funding can be provided where necessary.

The public health advice recognises that the implementation of physical distancing will look different across the various ages and stages of learning and that a balanced and common sense approach should be applied in the implementation of measures, allowing for some flexibility when needed whilst noting that it must be applied in a practical way, recognising that the learning environment cannot be dominated by a potentially counterproductive focus on this issue.

Schools are advised that they have an option of an appeal to the Primary Staffing Appeals Board should they continue to experience difficulties, having first taken measures necessary to achieve physical distancing in line with published guidance. The appeal received from the school referred to by the Deputy will be considered at the next meeting of the Primary Staffing Appeals Board.