Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria for admission to the summer provision programme; the way that the criteria have changed over the expansion of the scheme; the number accommodated across the different strands to provide for different needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58178/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Summer Programme is an important scheme for pupils with complex special educational needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage. It provides these students with an opportunity to maintain their connection with education and helps to ensure they continue their journey in September either in school or in further/higher education or training.

I can confirm that funding has been approved under Budget ’23 to continue the expanded summer programme for 2023. This early announcement gives schools time and opportunity to plan for next year.

The scheme has changed over the last number of years. Until 2020, July Provision as it was then known, provided funding to extend the school year for special schools and schools with special classes. Eligibility was limited to children with a severe and profound general learning disability or children with autism. If schools could not offer a programme, home based provision was available.

A significantly expanded Summer Programme was developed in 2020, as a direct response to COVID. It allowed a wide range of children with special needs to benefit from the programme, including those with severe and profound and moderate needs, autism, Down syndrome, and those with severe visual or hearing impairment. It included a number of strands which included in-school, or home-based supports by teachers and special needs assistants to help prevent regression among children with special educational needs impacted by school closures. Also, all DEIS schools could provide summer camps, including a numeracy and literacy programme for primary pupils and for the first time, a programme in DEIS post-primary schools.

In 2021 the programme was expanded further and for the first time all recognised primary and post-primary schools could offer a programme. The Inclusion Programme introduced this year was also available to pupils at risk of educational disadvantage. The home-based programme continued to be available to eligible pupils who could not avail of a school-based programme.

The 2022 Summer Programme built on the success of the 2021 programme and offered the same range of programmes, with the same eligibility criteria. The numbers have grown over these years with 2022 seeing more schools and students participating than ever before. Over 41,000 students benefitted from this year's programme with over 1,000 schools participating. This represents an increase of 300% in student participation numbers compared to 2019 when there was 13,000 students benefiting. This year’s programme has also helped over 1,300 Ukrainian children to integrate into their new learning environments through the inclusion programme.

A review of the programme is under way so that for 2023, to build further on the what the programme has achieved so far to have the best possible programme available. In particular, it is a priority of next year’s programme that children with complex special educational needs have access to a school-based programme.

The Department has already started intensively, through the review process, to engage with the management bodies, schools, parents with a view to encouraging schools and supporting them to participate in next year’s programme. The details of the 2023 Summer Programme are intended to be published by the end of January 2023.

Participation figures from the years 2019 to 2022 are attached.

Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

135. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the recruitment of SNAs and special education teachers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57456/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I would like to thank the Deputy for the questions raised and would advise the following:

This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs.

This includes additional teaching and care supports.

As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels.

The NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews. The Department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.

The NCSE have published the SNA and SET allocations for the 2022/23 school year and they are available at ncse.ie/set-hours-and-sna-allocations

The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.

Where circumstances change during the course of the school year that materially increase the level of care need in a school to the extent that the school can clearly demonstrate that it cannot be met within the existing SNA allocation, the school may apply to the NCSE for a review. Detailed information on the review process is published on the NCSE website, ncse.ie/special-needs-assistants

The Special Education Teaching (SET) allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile.

The SET allocation allows schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools and for schools to deploy resources based on each pupil’s individual learning needs.

A process is available where schools can seek a review of their SET allocation by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), including the utilisation of their allocations, in circumstances where a school considers that very exceptional circumstances have arisen subsequent to the development of the profile. Detailed information on the NCSE review process is published on the NCSE website, ncse.ie/special-education-teachers

When a school has been allocated an SNA or SET post, the Board of Management, as the employer, is responsible for filling the vacancy.