Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

193. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); if she will address the contents of same. [23438/24]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Details of the 2024 Summer Programme were published on the 21st March 2024. The Department of Education also recently announced that funding of €40m has been secured again to ensure that a comprehensive summer programme will be available in 2024. This builds on the successful summer programmes of the last three years. The full funding of €40m is available and, as in previous years, all of the funding is utilised to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.

All schools have an opportunity to run a programme over the summer months for those children who need it the most. These children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting.

The main priority again in 2024 is that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme.

Since 2019, the Summer Programme has gone from strength to strength. In 2023, approximately 1,400 schools and more than 50,000 children took part in the Summer Programme. This is compared to the more than 300 schools and 13,000 children who took part in 2019.

I am aware of the issues raised by the Deputy and can assure you that every effort is being made to facilitate special schools, and indeed all schools, in running a school-based summer programme. While ideally schools would run the summer programme for 4 weeks, there is a minimum period for running a programme of 2 weeks to reflect the level of organising involved and to support children taking part as much as possible. I would urge schools to look at the supports available such as the staff portal and the student teacher placement in special schools to assist them in running a programme for this minimum period.

The Summer Programme is reliant on schools and their staff choosing to participate on a voluntary basis. To this end, the Department has engaged with management bodies, schools and parents with a view to encouraging more schools to participate in the 2024 programme.

A key barrier to the participation of schools previously has been the availability of staff, particularly those experienced staff already working in the schools. In 2023, to maximise the number of schools participating in the Summer Programme, funding was targeted and teachers and SNAs working on the school-based scheme were paid a higher personal rate of pay. As a result, the Department has seen a much larger number of schools taking part, particularly in Special Schools, and we expect this to increase even further for 2024.

A new role of Student Teacher Placement in Special Schools has been introduced this year to encourage student teachers to participate in the summer programme. Paid placements can run from the 3rd week in May to the end of the Programme, greatly benefitting schools during this busy period. Special Schools can recruit up to two graduate teachers and final year PME student teachers, bolstering the capacity of schools to deliver the programme.

Schools have also been given the flexibility to engage staff that are not employed in their schools to support their summer programme. A staff portal is now available on www.educationposts.ie for teachers and SNAs to register their interest in working on a school-based programme in a Special School. Student teachers and students in relevant disciplines such as Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Social Care, Nursing and others, including Early Learning and Care Practitioners, will also be able to register their interest in working on this year’s Programme.

Other supports include:

• The continuation of the pilot programme which was developed specifically for special school in 2023. This programme has been designed and developed to ensure supports and funding are targeted to enhance the availability of a school-based programme for pupils in special schools. As part of this pilot, a National Coordinator has been appointed to liaise with special schools to help facilitate them run a programme.
• The continuation of key roles on the Summer Programme such as the School Organiser role and the Summer Programme Manager role. These roles are envisaged to be key leadership roles which offer development opportunities for staff in schools.
• Length of school day. For special schools, the length of the day continues to be reduced from the full school day to 10am – 2pm. However, the same daily rate will be paid to staff taking part. This is in recognition of the challenges associated with running the programme in a special school.
• Flexible grant funding. To reflect the unique circumstances that will arise in a special school during the summer months, additional grant funding of €2,000 will be provided for each week that a special school provides a school-based Summer Programme.
• In mainstream schools, where transport to and from the Summer Programme is identified as a barrier for certain children to attend the programme, schools can make their own local transport arrangements and claim the associated costs (i.e., up to a maximum of €1,750 per week). Children with special educational needs continue to have access to the Department’s school transport during the Summer Programme, if they normally avail of transport under the SEN School Transport Scheme.
• Other enhanced measures are in place to encourage schools’ participation. These include:
  • A Centralised Application Process to reduce admin burden on schools.
  • Earlier payment of school staff.
  • Additional capitation that, when compared to normal school capitation, is significantly more favourable. This was slightly adjusted this year to enable some of the measures listed above, which, following engagement with stakeholders, were deemed to be of more benefit to schools. Special Schools receive a greater rate of capitation to reflect the unique circumstances of running a programme in those settings.