Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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541. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she will take to ensure that students with special educational needs in mainstream classes will be supported to continue their education on par with their peers during the time school buildings are closed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1879/21]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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My Department is conscious of the fact that closing schools has hugely adverse consequences at individual, family and societal level and that the effect on children with special educational needs can be even greater. 

Because of this, my Department sought to prioritise in-person teaching and learning for pupils/students attending special schools and special classes and to allow these facilities to reopen from Monday, 11th January.

Unfortunately, following a number of meetings with education partners, including trade unions and school management bodies, and despite the confirmation by Public Health that schools remain safe, it has not proved possible to get agreement on the provision of in-person teaching and learning for children in special schools and special classes at this time.

My Department is continuing to engage with education partners, including parental representative bodies, in relation to this matter. 

I have also met with a number of disability representative groups in relation to how children with special educational needs can best be supported during the current school closure period. I am grateful for and committed to continuing this important engagement.

Updated Guidance on Continuity of Schooling: Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs (for mainstream primary and special schools and for post-primary schools) has also been made available by my Department.

This revised guidance advises on how schools and teachers can support continuity in the learning of pupils with special educational needs during the school closures associated with COVID-19. The guidance builds on the key messages in a range of guidance materials which were issued to schools and centres for education as they were published. Specific guidance has been published by the Department to support schools in the context of remote teaching and learning in a Covid-19 context:

Guidance on Remote Learning in a COVID-19 Context: September – December 2020; (Department of Education, October 2020)

This has been complemented by the Department of Education Circular Letter 0074/2020 in relation to the establishment of Digital Communication, Teaching and Learning Platforms:

This guidance is intended to assist mainstream and special schools as they endeavour to support teaching and learning for pupils with special educational needs through remote teaching approaches. Key themes of the guidance## include:

- The role of schools and teachers in engaging with pupils with SEN

- Teachers and school leaders working to support pupils with SEN

- Keeping in touch with parents and guardians

- Keeping pupils with SEN safe in the distance learning environment

- Resources for teachers.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is also communicating directly with schools on the range of supports available to special schools and schools with special classes. The following sets out some of the supports available:

- NCSE has created a dedicated phone line for parents to get advice and support from SENOs. The SENO will provide support and advice to parents and where relevant provide specific resources e.g. behaviour strategies, NEPS well-being resources. If necessary, parents can book a subsequent appointment with the SENO assigned to their child’s school.  This new phone number is 01 603 3456 (from Monday,11 January) 

I would like to reiterate my Department’s commitment to continue to engage with the partners in education with the goal of providing an urgent return to school for these cohorts of children.