Covid-19: Vulnerable families still not offered remote learning 

Declan, Brendan and Tracy McGinnis.

Children who have family members at high risk of Covid-19 complications are still not being offered remote learning.

Department of Education guidelines stipulate that only children who are themselves at "very high risk" can be offered remote learning, regardless of whether or not they have family members with underlying conditions.

This means children with family members who are potentially very vulnerable to Covid-19 are expected to go to school, according to the Department's policy. 

While some schools have been more lenient, many feel like they have to follow the Department's guidelines strictly.  

Tracy McGinnis, a single parent family carer living in Wexford, has two sons, Brendan, who is in the very high-risk category, and Declan. 

16-year-old Brendan is medically fragile and has a number of complex health conditions and disabilities. 

His 12-year-old brother, Declan, was due to start secondary school in Gorey this year. 

However, out of concerns that he would bring the virus into their home, he has stayed at home. Tracy herself is also high risk.

His school has not offered remote learning, citing Department of Education guidelines as the reason why.

"We are both emotionally in a spiral with all of this. He now wants to give up on school," says Tracy.

They refuse to live stream. They work on iPads so there is no reason they can't do it. Some other schools are providing streamed classes for high-risk families. It all depends on the principal or school

"I am his only parent. Brendan is his only sibling. If he lost either of us, he'd never live with himself thinking he was the cause of Covid coming into our home."

Tracy and Declan McGinnis. Declan has been off school since September.

Tracy has told Declan he can go back to school if he wants, but he would have to stay away from Brendan and wear a mask at home. "There's been tears and anxiety. It truly is terrible."

She is also fearful that there won't be a place for Declan in first year next year, should he have to repeat.

She believes the Department of Education is unwilling to compromise as it will damage their message that schools are safe. 

"I don't really see their reasoning for not doing it, considering they already do it for students who are very high risk themselves, or are at home due to serious illness, including Covid

In response, the school said they were adhering to the Department's guidelines. "It does not make provision for situations such as that outlined in your email. While we are sympathetic to such situations, the resources are not available to facilitate such requests."

Zara Flynn, from Rathmines in Dublin, found herself in a similar situation. 

She cares for her mother, who has chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and her grandmother, who has advanced dementia. They live down the road from her, and Zara provides care for them both.

She managed to get remote learning for her son, who attends a private secondary school, and she has homeschooled her six-year-old daughter since September, in anticipation of the difficulties with accessing remote learning.  

Her son was in school up until October, but once a positive case occurred in the school, he stayed at home. "I had to write a lot of letters, get a letter from my GP, and I said I would invoke the equal status act. Once they received these, the school said he would be offered remote learning as an exceptional case." 

She has written letters to the Chief Medical Officer and the Department of Education about the issue. 

"There has been no attention paid to how this is affecting children. They are sick with worry that they will bring this virus home and kill their family member

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said that the Government "has identified as an objective that all students should return to education as normal to the fullest extent possible, while minimising the risks from a public health perspective."

"Schools have put significant measures in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus being transmitted to/within the school and significant funding has been provided to support schools in this respect. 

"The evidence to date from a public health perspective is that schools are safe. The approach to Covid-19 in schools is led by the advice and guidance of the HSE Public Health.

The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has issued specific advice about children attending school in the context of covid-19. 

"This advice covers both children with underlying medical conditions and children living with family members with underlying conditions. For all children, care should continue to be taken to reduce transmission through the measures promoted by HPSC.

The advice outlines the view of public health that given current knowledge about Covid-19 disease in children, it is difficult to justify cocooning in most children with underlying conditions. Long-term cocooning of children with complex medical needs is likely to adversely affect them and may outweigh the potential risk of infection.

"The HPSC advice goes on to advise that children with immediate family members, including parents, in both the ‘high risk’ and ‘very high risk’ categories can return to school and it is important for the child’s overall well-being. 

"This is consistent with public health advice internationally in relation to at-risk family members. The priority is that the household continues to follow all current advice on how to minimise the risk of coronavirus, through regular hand washing, etc.

"The Department of Education has specific guidance has been published in respect of very high-risk children who cannot attend school in person, outlining how schools can best support these students. 

"Where a family or parents have specific concerns regarding the health of a student or a member of their household, they should discuss this with their child’s school and their medical team.

"The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 provides for a child to be educated in a recognised school, or alternatively if a parent chooses to educate, or have educated, his or her child in a place other than a recognised school. 

"If the parent chooses an option for their child other than attending a recognised school then the parent is obliged to apply to TUSLA’s Alternative Education Assessment and Registration Service to have the child concerned registered as outlined under section 14 of the Act."

"The support services of both the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) and the Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) are working with schools focussing on supporting students’ who have not yet returned to school to identify solutions in partnership with schools, families, children and young people," the spokesperson added.