John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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378. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a child who is deemed high-risk of contracting Covid-19 and is being home-schooled will be marked absent from school; if the authorities will be contacted to investigate the reason this is done in cases in which there are too many absences in the school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3204/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has provided guidance to schools in relation to the recording and reporting of Covid-19 related absences. Covid-19 related absences arising from pupils/students who have been requested to self-isolate by a medical professional or for pupils/students who feel unwell with symptoms consistent with Covid-19 must be recorded in accordance with the school’s normal procedures for the notification and recording of absences. However these Covid-19 related absences should be noted by the school as explained absences.

Notwithstanding the current Covid-19 related environment that schools are now operating in, the statutory requirements for reporting pupil absenteeism will continue as normal. In this respect, the Education (Welfare) Act requires the principal of a recognised school to maintain records of the attendance or non-attendance on each school day of each pupil registered at that school. Schools maintain a school register and a school roll. The purpose of the school register is to preserve a permanent record of the school history of each pupil/student. The purpose of the school roll is to record the daily and cumulative attendance of individual pupils/students. A pupils/students name will be recorded as removed from the school roll following an absence of 20 consecutive days. This is in accordance with the requirements of Department Circular 0028/2013.

The decision to home school means that parents are effectively removing their children from school and the school will have no further role in their children’s teaching and learning for the duration of the home schooling. The decision to home school may also have implications for the children’s school place should parents wish for their children to return to school at a later date.

Where a child is removed from school for the purpose of home schooling, the pupil/student’s name will be recorded as removed from the school roll following 20 consecutive absences. In addition schools are required under the Education Welfare Act 2000 to also notify the Education Welfare Service of Tusla when the aggregate number of school days on which a pupil is absent during a school year reaches 20 days. The pupil/student’s education record remains on the school register and the only change that occurs is that the status of the pupil/student’s education record is updated to reflect the fact that the pupil has left the school. Decisions therefore in relation to educating children outside of school are best made in consultation with the child’s school and Tusla’s Education Support Service (TESS).

The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 section 14 sets out that Tusla is required to maintain a register of all children in receipt of education in a place other than a recognised school. The provisions of the Act outline that, where a parent chooses to educate, or have educated, his or her child in a place other than a recognised school he or she shall apply to Tusla to have the child concerned registered on the register.

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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379. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the fact that whilst provision is in place for children who are high-risk to be home-schooled there is no provision for parents who are deemed high-risk and who are in contact with each person their child is being exposed to; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3205/22]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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387. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements in place for students who cannot attend school due to the fact that they are immunocompromised or live with a person who is immunocompromised; the remote learning options available in this instance; the guidance for parents and staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3392/22]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 379 and 387 together.

My Department has always been guided by public health advice in relation to appropriate Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures in place in schools. These measures protect students/pupils, their parents and school staff and are very effective when adhered to.

The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has issued specific advice about children attending school in the context of Covid-19. This advice covers both children with underlying medical conditions and children living with family members with underlying conditions. For all children, care should continue to be taken to reduce transmission through the infection control measures promoted by HPSC.

The HPSC advice provides that children with immediate family members, including parents, in both the ‘high risk’ and ‘very high risk’ categories can attend school and it is important for the child’s overall well-being. This is consistent with public health advice internationally in relation to at-risk family members. The priority is that the household continues to follow all current advice on how to minimise the risk of coronavirus, through regular hand washing, etc.

With regard to the provision of education for children who are extremely vulnerable to Covid-19, my Department has published guidance in relation to students who have been medically certified as being at very high risk from Covid-19. As that guidance indicates, it is the responsibility of parents/guardians to seek medical advice and certification to indicate if their child is at very high risk to Covid-19 and to inform the school of this. Where a school receives such medical certification, it will organise the most appropriate support for the student concerned. The guidance sets out a number of options for schools to facilitate adapted education provision for students at very high risk to Covid-19.

The wellbeing of all students is a fundamental element of my Department’s overall plan in sustaining the safe and effective operation of schools as we continue to manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context the National Psychological Service of the Department (NEPS) is leading on supporting the wellbeing of schools communities. The response to support the wellbeing of all within school communities on the return to school requires a structured, psychosocial response which is compassionate, largely preventative and proactive. This requires a whole-school team approach to planning in order to ensure that staff, students and parents feel safe and secure. The Department’s response is aligned with the HSE guidance and based on the five key principles of promoting a sense of safety, calm, connectedness, self- and community-efficacy and hope.