Schools operating summer programmes have been warned that it is “completely unacceptable” to ask parents for a contribution to secure a place for their child.
The Department of Education has been made aware of one case where parents were asked to make a payment for participation in the scheme aimed at children with special needs, but, confirming the case, Minister of State for Education Hildegarde Naughton said it was “immediately resolved”.
Some €40 million in funding is designed to cover all costs, and she urged parents to contact the department if they were asked to pay. She said she would be “very keen” to hear from parents about the issue “because that is just completely not acceptable”.
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Independent TD Catherine Connolly has expressed concern at reports that parents are paying teachers privately to secure a place, and described the practice as “totally unacceptable”.
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The summer programme is aimed at children with complex special education needs, particularly in special schools, to ensure they have access to a school-based summer activity programme which can operate for up to four weeks. There are difficulties with staffing, and not all schools operate an activity programme, making demand greater than supply.
However, this year the department received more than 1,700 expressions of interest from schools, an increase of 300 on last year. Ms Naughton said 1,475 primary schools, 205 post-primary schools and 72 special schools are involved.
Ms Connolly raised the issue in the Dáil, pointing out that although there were some 8,000 children attending special schools fewer than 50 per cent of them operate the programme.
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The Minister said when schools said pay rates for teachers and SNAs (special needs assistants) were a barrier to more getting involved payment was increased. They also opened a portal for teachers and SNAs, student teachers and students in areas such as therapy, social care, nursing, early care and care workers to register an interest, providing more staff for schools’ participation.
Ms Connolly said there were also schools “who use their premises to earn money for summer camps and do not put an emphasis on special needs”. She had also received representations related to parents seeking residential care “simply because their children have regressed because they cannot access summer programmes”.
The Minister said more children were participating each year, with 37,500 children in 2021, rising to 50,000 by 2023. She wanted to see “even more schools partaking every year, particularly those with the most complex needs” but the department could not compel schools to participate because it was voluntary. It would continue to reach out to all schools and address barriers to participation because “it is important that more schools engage”.
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