Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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Tá ag éirí le scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge laistigh agus lasmuigh den Ghaeltacht fáilte a chur roimh scoláirí ón Úcráin agus iad a chlárú. In go leor cásanna, ní labhróidh na scoláirí ach Úcráinis agus/nó Rúisis agus seans go mbeidh tuiscint éigin acu ar an mBéarla. Beidh go leor de na dúshláin a thiocfaidh chun cinn nuair a bheidh fáilte á chur roimh dhaltaí dá leithéid agus iad á n-ionchuimsiú mar an gcéanna i scoileanna meán-Bhéarla agus i scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge.

Tá eolas maidir le stádas agus feidhmiú scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge agus scoileanna Gaeltachta curtha ar fáil do thuismitheoirí agus do dhaoine óga a thagann go hÉirinn ón Úcráin agus is féidir teacht air sin ar líne ag: www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/fostaiocht-curam-leanai-agus-oideachas/#oideachas.

Tá treoir eisithe ag mo Roinn do scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge agus do scoileanna Gaeltachta maidir le fáilte a chur roimh dhaltaí ón Úcráin. Leagtar béim sa treoir seo ar an tábhacht a bhaineann le riachtanais na scoláirí a chur i gcroílár fhreagairt na scoile. Tugtar sonraí ann chomh maith faoi acmhainní COGG atá ar fáil do scoileanna. Is féidir an treoir sin a fháil ar líne ag: www.gov.ie/ga/foilsiuchan/litir-chuig-scoileanna-faoi-mhic-leinn-san-ucrai/#treoir-do-scoileanna.

Tá scoileanna ina bhfuil scoláirí ón Úcráin cláraithe i dteideal uaireanta tacaíochta teanga breise chun tacú le forbairt scileanna teanga. Ba chóir don scoil na huaireanta seo a úsáid chun freastal ar riachtanais aonair na scoláirí seo.

Tá Foirne Réigiúnacha Oideachais agus Teanga (REALT) á n-óstáil ag na 16 bhord réigiúnacha oideachais agus oiliúna ar fud na hÉireann agus foireann tacaíochta oideachais réigiúnach mar fhoireann acu. Is é príomhról na bhfoirne REALT ná cabhrú le teaghlaigh áiteanna scoile a fháil. Bainfidh cinntí maidir le freastal ar scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge nó ar scoileanna meán-Bhéarla go príomha leis na tuismitheoirí agus leis na scoláirí iad féin, agus cúinsí áitiúla á gcur san áireamh acu.

Chun freastal ar na riachtanais Béarla mar Theanga Breise (EAL) atá ag teacht chun cinn i scoileanna, tá Oide, an tseirbhís tacaíochta do mhúinteoirí agus do cheannairí scoile atá maoinithe ag an Roinn, ag cur réimse tacaíochtaí ar fáil do scoileanna maidir le foghlaimeoirí EAL a chuimsiú ag an mbunleibhéal agus ag an iar-bhunleibhéal. Tá an seimineár gréasáin iar-bhunleibhéil ‘Tacú le foghlaimeoirí EAL’, atá beartaithe ag Oide, á chur in oiriúint acu faoi láthair chun don chomhthéacs lán-Ghaeilge.

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Translation

Irish-medium schools, within and outside of the Gaeltacht, are successfully welcoming and enrolling students from Ukraine. In many cases, the students will speak only Ukrainian and/or Russian and may have some understanding of English. Many of the challenges that arise in welcoming and including such students will be similar for English-medium and Irish-medium schools.

Information in relation to the status and operation of Irish-medium schools and Gaeltacht schools has been made available to parents and young people arriving to Ireland from Ukraine and can be accessed online at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/320e9-employment-and-education/#education

Guidance has been issued by my Department to Irish-medium and Gaeltacht schools on welcoming students from Ukraine. This guidance highlights the importance of placing student needs at the heart of the school’s response. It also gives details of COGG resources that are available to schools. The guidance can be found online at: www.gov.ie/en/publication/48639-information-for-schools-ukraine/#guidance-for-schools

Schools where Ukrainian students are enrolled are also entitled to additional language support hours to support the development of language skills. These hours should be used by the school to meet the individual needs of these students.

Regional Education and Language Teams (REALTs) are hosted by the 16 regional education and training boards around Ireland and staffed by regionally based education support personnel. The primary role of the REALTs is to assist families in securing school places. Decisions about attending Irish-medium or English-medium schools are primarily for the parents and the students themselves to make, while taking account of local circumstances.

To meet the emerging needs of EAL in schools, Oide, the Department-funded support service for teachers and school leaders, provides a number of supports to schools regarding inclusion of EAL learners at primary and post-primary level. Oide is currently adapting its planned post-primary webinar ‘Supporting EAL learners’, to the Irish medium context.