Schools responsible for ensuring 'high risk' students can access education

Minister for Education Norma Foley said schools are responsible for ensuring that students who are unable to return to school due to health concerns are provided with supports for learning. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Responsibility to ensure that immunocompromised children receive appropriate support remains with their school, Education Minister Norma Foley has said.

Schools are due to return at the end of August under the Government's new roadmap, but concerns have been flagged over how children with underlying health issues will be catered for.

Sinn Féin's Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire as well as Fine Gael's Jennifer Carroll MacNeill pressed the minister on the issue in parliamentary questions.

Ms Foley said the Government's roadmap sets out what the operation of schools will look like in a Covid-19 context.

"It has been developed in line with public health advice issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the Roadmap for Society and Business, and follows comprehensive and intensive engagement with education stakeholders, including the school management bodies and staff representatives," said Ms Foley.

"I am conscious that there may be some pupils for whom return to school at the end of August may not be appropriate because the relevant public health guidelines indicate they are at 'very high risk'.

"Responsibility to ensure these pupils receive appropriate support to engage adequately with learning remains with each school. Good communication is key to supporting these pupils and to ensure their ongoing connection with their classmates and school.

"Additional supports will be provided for these pupils/students through designated teachers from within the staffing resources of the school.

"Schools will have discretion to manage and redistribute their teaching support resources in order to best meet the learning needs of their pupils/students, including pupils/students at ‘very high risk’ to Covid-19."

Mr Ó Laoghaire said he was concerned that an unfair burden was being put on teachers and that there was a risk of children being left out.

“I am very concerned that there has been very little thought given to children who are at high risk and will not be able to attend school, and indeed those who have a parent or relative at home who are high risk, who are literally not mentioned in the roadmap at all,” said the Cork TD.

“I am concerned that we could end up with some children being isolated, and getting limited support or indeed sporadic and inconsistent support.

“There needs to be an agreed minimum standard, and identified dedicated resources, within a school or across a number of local schools.

“There needs to be a dedicated strategy for ensuring these children are supported. Every child deserves to be safe, every child deserves an education.” 

The Government said it is "conscious" that some high-risk staff will be unable to return to work due to Covid-19, and schools will be provided with resources to replace these staff members.

Details of the arrangements that will apply to these staff, which will be in accordance with those applying to the public service generally, will be updated by the Department of Education following consultation with management bodies and unions, and a circular will be issued to all schools. This may include supporting high-risk students who cannot attend school.