A chara, – I write in response to your recent editorial "Back to school. Now to keep the classroom open" (September 1st)).
The prolonged absence from school has posed particular challenges for students with special educational needs and their families. Some students with more complex special educational needs found it very challenging to engage with remote learning in a meaningful way. We know that families experienced stress in trying to meet their child’s learning needs at home. Many students with special educational needs have found it difficult to understand the loss of routines and opportunities to interact with school staff and peers. The transition back to schools with new Covid-related routines and practices will challenge all students but particularly the students with special educational needs.
I want to work with schools and parents to ensure that everyone has the full information. Various guidance documents have already been provided to schools on issues including special educational needs. School staff have done incredible work in preparing their schools to reopen and I want to pay tribute to them.
As part of the Roadmap for the Reopening of Schools, I was pleased to secure a dedicated package for the special educational needs sector, covering additional resources for personal protective equipment (PPE), enhanced cleaning in special schools and mainstream schools with special classes, release days for staff, staff supports, and cover for specials needs assistant (SNA) absences. This provision of this dedicated package recognises the additional requirements and vulnerabilities faced by students with special educational needs as well as their teachers, families, and SNAs.
There are almost 17,000 SNAs in Ireland, and they do invaluable work. Due to the nature of their roles in providing frontline support and care to young people with additional needs, SNAs are not required to maintain social distancing measures while performing their tasks. SNAs along with special education teachers routinely move within and between schools and it is not possible to prevent this. Schools have been provided with additional funding to purchase PPE and SNAs whose work requires them to be in close contact with children should be prioritised for provision of this PPE. In addition, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre has provided a range of guidance on infection prevention and control in educational settings.
An additional 17 National Educational Psychological Service psychologists will be appointed to provide enhanced services to support the wellbeing of our school communities at this time, with a particular emphasis on the wellbeing of our special school communities.
Education is a right and should be provided for as such. That is why the reopening of our schools is so important. I want to recognise the contribution of all school staff over recent weeks who have gone above and beyond to make this happen for all students, and particularly those with special educational needs.
We are indebted to them. – Is mise,
JOSEPHA MADIGAN TD
Minister of State
for Special Education
and Inclusion,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.