Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The purpose of my Department's Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. For children without a school place my Department administers Home Tuition schemes for:

1. Students with special educational needs seeking an educational placement in a recognised school
2. Students who are temporarily without a school place, is without an offer of a school place and is actively seeking a school placement in a recognised school

Home tuition is not an alternative to a school placement and is provided in very limited and specific circumstances. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term educational intervention. It is provided as an interim measure only for children for whom a placement in a recognised school is not available and should not be regarded as an optional alternative to a school placement. Home tutors are engaged by the parents/guardians of the child who is to receive the tuition.

The Department funds the cost of tuition provided where this complies fully with the terms of the approval for the scheme. It is a condition of grant funding that tutors engaged by parents are registered with and recognised by the Teaching Council of Ireland. All teachers currently registered with the Teaching Council of Ireland are vetted by the National Vetting Bureau.

Application forms for scheme a) above are available from the gov.ie websitegov.ie - Home Tuition (www.gov.ie).

The Home Tuition grant scheme is operated with the assistance of the Educational Welfare Services of the Tusla Child and Family Agency.

Application forms for scheme b) grant scheme are available from the local Educational Welfare Officer (EWO)/or the appointed social worker. Contact details for the EWO’s in a specific area can be obtained via the following website at www.tusla.ie/get-in-touch/education-and-welfare/#EWO.

The numbers of hours allocated per each strand of home tuition is as follows:

• Students with special educational needs-The maximum home tuition grant for children awaiting a placement is based on 20 hours tuition per week subject to the appropriate school calendar year.
• Home Tuition- No School Place-provides home tuition for children, other than those children with special education needs, who do not have a school place, are without the offer of a school place and for whom a school place is being actively sought. This includes children in care who are without a school place due to emergency placement or placement disruption. Provision of tuition under the No School Place strand of the scheme is for a maximum of 9 hours per week for 12 weeks. Children in caregrants are provided for a maximum of 9 hours per week for 6 weeks after which they can make a separate application under the No School Place strand of the scheme for further tuition provision. Application forms are available from the appointed social worker.

It is the responsibility of each student, and their parent/guardian(s),to familiarise themselves with the regulations and requirements of the SEC in relation to coursework in certain post-primary subjects and to ensure that they can comply with the regulations and requirements. Coursework must be the candidate’s own individual work, completed under the supervision of the class teacher.