Ministers Foley and Madigan welcome agreed plan for return to in-school learning for children with special educational needs at primary level

• Children in special schools to return on 50 per cent capacity shared basis from 11 February
• Children in special classes in mainstream primary schools to return from 22 February
• Supplementary in-person care and educational support programme to commence from 11 February for four weeks

INTO Statement at the bottom of this page

Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan TD today welcomed the plan agreed by the Department of Education with relevant education stakeholders to initiate a phased return to in-person learning for children in special schools and children in special classes in mainstream schools.

This announcement follows intensive engagement with the trade unions representing teachers and special educational needs assistants, and other relevant stakeholders including parents and school management bodies, to discuss the challenges posed and the supports required to ensure a safe return for this cohort of vulnerable pupils.

On Thursday 11 February, special schools will re-open to pupils. In accordance with this agreement pupils will attend on a 50 per cent basis to allow for attendance of reduced numbers within the school setting. This will be reviewed in line with public health advice.

On Monday 22 February, special classes in mainstream schools will re-open to pupils.

Talks will continue this week and in the coming period with stakeholders on further phases of return so that a wider reopening can be delivered for children as soon as possible.

During the period of school closure, remote learning provision will continue to be made available to all pupils in line with each school’s remote learning plan.

Recognising that remote learning is particularly challenging for children with additional needs, the Department of Education has put in place a supplementary programme to support the education and/or care needs of pupils with complex needs.

An allocation of five hours per week of home-based teaching or care supports will be made available to eligible pupils. This allocation is intended to supplement, and not replace, the remote teaching provided by the pupil’s school and can be provided by a teacher or SNA in a student’s home, at evenings and weekends. Participation in the programme is voluntary for families, teachers and SNAs and must be delivered in accordance with Public Health Advice.

The four–week programme (20 hours) can commence from11 February and can be used by families at any time up until the end of April.

Minister Foley said:

I am pleased that we are now in a position to give certainty to children with special education needs and their families on when they can return to school. Learning remotely is particularly hard for these children and I am acutely conscious that the loss of the regular school routine, social interaction with friends, direct face to face access to teachers and special needs assistants as well as therapy interventions have presented a huge challenge and a real risk of regression to the learning, social, emotional development and wellbeing of these pupils.

It is hugely positive we now have a concrete plan in place to support these children to return to in-person schooling, in line with public health advice.

I want to thank everyone who has engaged in this process, from the very beginning, to reach a solution and to meet the needs of these children.

It is regrettable that a pathway for a return to in-class learning for children with additional needs in mainstream schools could not be reached but we will continue to work with our partners to provide a resolution for this cohort of pupils.

The re-opening of our schools for all students remains a top priority for Government and I am committed to working on an ongoing basis with all stakeholders to achieve this, in line with public health advice.

Minister Madigan said:

I welcome the progress to date on the re-opening of special education. We are moving in the right direction. While today’s news is a positive development, it is important to recognise the work that remains in order to ensure that in-person education is provided for every young person to whom remote learning is not suited. There are also students in mainstream education with special education needs who would benefit from in-person education and negotiations to progress this will continue.

From the beginning, the Government has sought to ensure that the rights of students with special educational needs and their families are protected. They are the students with the greatest level of need in our education system. It is only right that they are given priority in the phased re-opening of our education system. This is recognised across the board.

My colleagues and I will continue to work to ensure that every support and reassurance is provided to school staff and families at this time. We all acknowledge the vital role they perform. Our actions will continue to be guided at all times by public health advice as well work to ensure that educational opportunity is available to everyone in society in a safe and progressive manner.

Special schools and special classes will be supported in their return by the enhanced school teams put in place by the HSE and the Department of Education. Updated guidance and information on the supports for schools will be made available in advance of the return.

Further information on the in-person supplementary scheme to support the education and care needs of pupils with complex needs is being finalised and will be issued to schools over the coming days. Parents will be advised on the application process, which will be similar to a summer provision scheme, with parents engaging the teacher or SNA directly and the Department arranging payment.

It is intended that this programme would be supported by teachers and SNAs who may opt in to participate, on a paid basis, to help ensure a better learning experience for these pupils and to build on the learning taking place as part of the remote provision.

Notes:

The In-person Supplementary Programme to Support the Education and/or Care Needs of Pupils with Complex Needs scheme is a temporary measure during this period of school closure, in February 2021. The four–week programme (20 hours) can commence from 11 February and can be used by families at any time up until the end of April.

These hours supplement existing school provision provided remotely, therefore they cannot be delivered during the school day. They can however be delivered outside of the normal school day and/or at weekends if necessary.

As this will be a supplementary programme, it is voluntary for teachers and SNAs to participate.

Similar to the Department’s home based summer programme, parents will engage tutors/SNAs directly in a private arrangement.

Tutors/SNAs would be paid for this additional work through the Department’s payroll upon receipt of the completed claim form from parents.

Eligibility for the programme will comprise:

• All pupils enrolled in special schools and special classes in primary schools
• Pupils in mainstream schools who are accessing the highest levels of support in school at the School Support Plus/Support for a Few stage of the Continuum of Support (including pupils with Autism, Down syndrome, sensory impairments, and other disabilities.) This will include the pupils who were identified for the summer programme of 2020.

• ·Schools have flexibility to identify pupils that require the highest level of support at any given time. This will ensure that pupils presenting with exceptional needs due to the currentschool closures can participate in the scheme.

INTO: Plans and protocols for partial and phased resumption of special schools and classes in mainstream schools

Over the last two weeks, the INTO has participated in intensive engagement with the Department of Education and Fórsa. The Central Executive Committee of INTO has considered detailed proposals on a slow, phased and partial resumption of special education from mid-February. The CEC has always insisted that additional supports, safeguards and risk-mitigation measures be put in place prior to any phased-reopening of special education facilities during the current government restrictions. The CEC felt that it would be imperative that schools be given adequate notice and time to plan for the resumption of school-based activity. Furthermore, INTO understands that detailed documentation will issue to schools tomorrow.

This resumption will commence with the partial reopening of special schools, where there may be a maximum of fifty percent of pupils attending on alternate days and shortly thereafter include special education classes in mainstream schools in a similar approach. It is expected that special schools will open on Thursday, 11 February and that special classes in mainstream schools will open on Monday, 22 February. 

The INTO has always insisted that any decision related to our schools, during this pandemic, must be led by definitive up to date public health advice. Clear advice has now been provided by our public health authorities that this limited and partial reopening, along the terms agreed with this union, will not give rise to an increase in school-based or community transmission. Following the significant decrease in the 14 day average of infection rates since mid-January and the much lower reproduction rate of the virus NPHET further project that the public health landscape is expected to continue improving and will have improved considerably at the commencement of this interim plan. 

Detailed plans, which the INTO and Fórsa have scrutinised, will be circulated to schools tomorrow. They will include detailed information on the steps which need to be taken for the planned resumption of in-school support for pupils with special educational needs. We have jointly insisted that boards of management must be given adequate notice, guidance and time to plan for this phased reopening and to liaise with parents of children with special educational needs.  

Ahead of detailed guidance being issued tomorrow, the INTO can this evening confirm that, following engagement with the Department of Education, we have secured a suite of necessary additional supports for special education facilities. 

These include:

• Robust risk mitigation measures.
• Augmented school support teams in all HSE areas to provide advice, contact tracing and bulk fast-track testing. 
• Flexible arrangements for staff in high risk health categories to continue working from home throughout the interim programme. 
• Financial support for families who wish to transport their children to school for the duration of the programme. 
• The publication of school based testing reports to inform our understanding of transmission rates in schools during the interim period. 
• High grade face masks to be provided to any teacher who seeks them. 
• A public awareness campaign designed to ensure compliance with public health advice in schools. 
• Clarity on the higher priority rating of special education staff within the vaccination schedule. 

While the INTO will continue to engage with the Department of Education on the limited reopening of special education provision, planning will also get underway for the wider reopening of our schools.

Following a special meeting of the INTO’s Central Executive Committee this afternoon, INTO President Mary Magner said: 

Two guiding principles have led our engagement with government throughout this long crisis – that decisions must be underpinned  by up to date public health advice and that the safety of our members is paramount. The protocols and plans set out by the Department of Education offer a proportionate and limited reopening of special education provision, led by public health advice. They provide critical protections for our members and deliver a carefully planned, phased return to the classroom for our most vulnerable pupils and their teachers. We will continue to monitor the situation on the ground closely both ahead of the reopening and thereafter, to ensure that the weekly testing and tracing reports back up NPHET’s conclusions. 

Over the last number of weeks we have seen politicians and media pundits alike seek to pit teachers against children with special educational needs, having never before spoken up for investment in special education. The people of Ireland saw through this transparent attack on a 150-year old union that has championed the rights of pupils with pride.

 Over the coming weeks, our attention will turn to the general reopening of all primary schools. Against an improving public health landscape, we believe this is possible. However, the power to make this happen rests with each and every one of us. We must all do what we can to limit our movements and abide by the current restrictions. By working closely  together classroom learning can resume in safer schools.

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