Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

501. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated cost of providing language transition programmes and anti-racism training for primary and post-primary schools, respectively. [39508/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Department has adapted to the dynamic landscape of student enrolment and has prioritised enhancing English as an Additional Language (EAL) support, recognising the critical role of language.

The Department's policies enable flexible resource allocation to ensure that the resources follow pupils in the event of them changing schools. These supports to schools, based on application process, are provided for new-entrant pupils (i.e., pupils arrived in the country in the last 2 years with an EAL requirement). Similar to previous years, supports may also be provided for schools with a high concentration of pupils that are not classified as new-entrant pupils but who have an EAL need.

In the current school year (2024/25) there were 1,426 EAL positions allocated at primary level and 475 at post-primary level with a combined cost of approximately €114m.

A core value of the curriculum, across all levels of schooling in Ireland, is inclusivity and diversity. The curriculum at primary and post-primary is for all learners, from all backgrounds – regardless of gender, socio-economic background, race or creed. It aims to foster inclusivity where equality and diversity are promoted. Within the curriculum, issues related to diverse values, beliefs and traditions are reflected in different areas of the curriculum. Primary Social Personal and Health Education Curriculum (SPHE) supports pupils’ learning in the areas of inclusion, diversity and anti- racism, while at post primary includes a short course in Civic, Social and Political Education (CSPE) focuses on supporting students in become active citizens and an updated SPHE Junior Cycle Specification, introduced in schools in September 2023. An updated Senior Cycle specification was approved and published in September 2024. This is being introduced in September 2025 for those entering Leaving Certificate Applied, while schools have until 2027 to introduce this new specification for all other students entering Senior Cycle to accommodate the necessary preparations

Cineáltas: Action Plan on Bullying was published on 1st December 2022. Cineáltas is the Department of Education and Youth’s whole-education approach to preventing and addressing bullying in schools.

Cineáltas is dedicated to the prevention and addressing of bullying, cyber bullying, racist bullying, gender identity bullying and sexual harassment, among other areas, in schools.

It is centred on a child right’s-based approach and provides a collective vision and clear roadmap for how the whole education community and society can work together to prevent and address bullying in our schools.

Cineáltas incorporates each of the nine components of UNESCO’s Whole Education Approach to prevent and address bullying. It is rooted in four key principles: prevention, support, oversight and community.

Cineáltas has been informed by the views of children and young people, parents, school staff, education partners and individual members of the public and succeeds in placing the students at the very heart of the plan.

Implementation of Cineáltas is well underway.

I am committed to preventing and addressing bullying in schools, and through the implementation of Cineáltas we can work together towards a diverse, inclusive Irish society free from bullying in all its forms and where all our children and young people can feel happy and safe in our schools.

The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) teams offer training and guidance for teachers in the provision of universal and targeted evidence-informed approaches and early intervention to promote children’s wellbeing, social, emotional and academic development.

Some of the many programmes of support that are delivered by NEPS include:

Embracing Diversity includes looking at cultural and linguistic diversity, promoting inclusive practice in education, key psychological constructs such as bias, stereotyping and intersectionality, inclusive language and examples of good practice in schools.

Welcome to our school: addresses how to support children and young people from international backgrounds , adopt key psychosocial principles (the Hobfoll principles) effective at addressing the wellbeing needs of those impacted by a traumatic event.

Additionally Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is a mandatory part of the Primary and Junior Cycle curriculum, which provide vital opportunities for the development of children’s wellbeing in the physical, social, emotional and intellectual domains.