Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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463. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will ensure that a part of career guidance training, information and understanding of the challenges that face students with sight loss will be included; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46489/21]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The Indecon Review of Career Guidance Tools and Information, published in April 2019, examined aspects of career guidance in the Irish education and training system in order to improve the existing career guidance tools and information and to enhance engagement with enterprise. Both my Department and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science have been working on sharing responsibility and identifying appropriate actions for the 18 key recommendations. The key recommendations relating to inclusion will involve both Departments.

The Indecon report made eighteen recommendations under four themes: improvement in career guidance tools and career information, better engagement with enterprise, promotion of inclusion and enhanced governance structures.

Under the promotion of inclusion theme, the four key recommendations were:

Introduce a specific module on career guidance as part of training for teachers in special schools.

Provide access for special education and adult learners to the proposed enhanced central career support services, including information on labour market opportunities.

Provide additional specialised ongoing CPD supports for teachers in special schools and

Prioritise resource allocation, including guidance teachers for learners most in need of assistance.

Preliminary work began last year to progress some of these areas but the public health pandemic caused disruption to the initial work plan. My officials have begun a series of meetings, both internally and with external partners such as the National Disability Authority, to discuss the inclusion recommendations and further explore ways to strengthen Guidance and career supports in the education system. As Guidance is a whole-school activity my Department will be considering ways to improve whole-school Guidance to promote even greater inclusion, which will involve looking at the current level of training for all teachers as well as that of guidance counsellors.

One of the first actions that my Department is undertaking is to explore the level of training, relating to supporting and guiding students with special education needs (SEN), that guidance counsellors and other teachers receive during their post-graduate Guidance and teacher training courses. My officials will be working with the Guidance course leaders to see if the current SEN/inclusion Guidance training modules can be strengthened, which will include, but not be limited to, looking at the challenges that face students with sight loss. Added to this my Department will then be looking at the current SEN/inclusion training all teachers receive during their initial teacher training and post-qualification continuing professional development.