Steven Matthews (Wicklow, Green Party)
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77. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if provisions are being made in cases of children in direct provision and the potential interruption to their education if there are further outbreaks of Covid-19 in centres in view of the fact that if there is an outbreak the child must be removed from school. [24287/20]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Department acknowledges that there will be cases where individual pupils or groups of pupils are requested by Public Health HSE to self-isolate or restrict their movements because of a case or cases of COVID-19.  Schools should, at a minimum, endeavour to support these pupils to catch up with their learning on their return to school. In some instances, where adapted education provision is already being provided to other pupils in the school, it may be possible for pupils who have to restrict their movements to avail of that adapted provision. In the event of pupils being required to not attend school because of a partial or full school closure, it is crucial that all schools make every effort to support pupils’ learning during the closure period.

The Department of Education has issued guidelines to schools on how to support pupils who are unable to attend school because they are at high risk from Covid-19 . These guidelines on “Continuity of schooling: Supporting primary pupils who are at very high risk to COVID-19” are available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/a0bff-reopening-our-primary-and-special-schools/#additional-guidelines-and-procedures. This guidance also outlines how schools can ensure that pupils who are self-isolating receive appropriate support to engage adequately with learning by means of adapted education provision. In some instances, schools where adapted education provision is already being provided by teachers in the school, it may be possible for pupils who are self-isolating to avail of that adapted provision. This decision should be made at local level by each school in the context of the needs and circumstances of their pupils.