Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

156. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the analysis her Department has carried out to date into the cost of introducing a paid or discounted postage scheme for a purpose (details supplied) for DEIS schools in case of future school closures; the engagement she has had to date with DEIS schools in regard to this situation; her plans to provide a compensatory payment for DEIS schools that incurred these additional costs during previous school closures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25122/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Since the onset of Covid-19, my Department has continued engage with education partners to ensure that all schools, including DEIS schools, are supported through periods of enforced remote learning and also now as schools have reopened and learners have returned to the classroom.

The Inspectorate carried out telephone surveys of principals in the Sept-Dec 20 period (return to school) and in the January-February period when schools were closed. In February 2021, the Inspectorate surveyed a sample of primary pupils, including pupils attended DEIS schools, on the provision of remote teaching and learning while the schools and centres were closed. The Inspectorate also surveyed a sample of parents of pupils in primary schools in February 2021. The sample included DEIS schools. Most parents who responded agreed that their child was well supported by the school to keep up with their work.

DEIS – Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools is the main policy initiative of my Department of Education to address educational disadvantage at school level. My Department will spend over €150million on supports for schools under the DEIS programme in 2021, which includes over €26 million for the School Completion Programme (SCP). This also includes in the region of €16.2 million which will be provided to schools in the form of a DEIS grant for the 2021/22 school year. It is a matter for each individual school to determine how best to use this funding, but it is intended to support the objectives of the DEIS programme, including retention, attendance, literacy and numeracy. In recognition of the difficulties faced by some students to engage with remote learning, at the time the grant issued last year all DEIS schools were informed by letter that they could consider using some of their DEIS funding to support pupils’ learning, for example to arrange access to additional materials of supports for students during the move to remote teaching and learning caused by Covid-19.

When schools were closed, where the nature of costs which would normally have been incurred when schools were open changed, it was a matter for schools to use the resources available to the school including the DEIS grant funding allocated to support students in DEIS schools, in accordance with the needs of the school.

It should also be noted that my Department provides capitation funding to all recognised schools in the free education scheme. The capitation grant caters for day to day running costs of the school, including postage costs. The capitation grant has increased in the budgets of 2019 and 2020.