Press release
Government approves over €375 million support package and publishes Roadmap to enable safe return of schools
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
Comprehensive funding package and plan provides required supports and clear guidance for primary and post-primary schools to return safely in the new term
1000 additional teachers in post-primary schools to help reduce class sizes
Additional substitution, supervision, guidance counsellors and psychologists
Safety and wellbeing of school community a key focus of practical guidance
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD, Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and Minister for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan TD today, Monday 27 July, announced the publication of Reopening Our Schools: The Roadmap for The Full Return to School, along with details of a financial package of over €375 million to support its implementation, following approval by Government.
The roadmap outlines a comprehensive range of measures being provided to support the full reopening of schools in time for the start of the new school year in late August.
The roadmap was developed following intensive engagement with stakeholders from the education sector, including teachers’ unions, representatives of principals and deputy principals, school management bodies, representatives of parents and post-primary students and support staff.
The roadmap and the funding package recognise the challenges faced by schools in ensuring the safe return of over one million students and approximately 100,000 staff in 4,000 schools in the context of COVID-19. It sets out clear plans and practical guidance on the measures schools will need to take to operate safely and minimise the risk of the introduction, or spread, of infection in schools.
The financial package approved by Government to support schools recognises that COVID-19 poses significant challenges with regard to staffing, particularly in regard to replacement of staff, substitution, supervision and the need for wellbeing supports.
- 120 guidance posts will be provided to support student wellbeing
- an initial allocation of over 600 posts to be made available to post-primary schools
- remaining posts will be used to support those post-primary schools experiencing particular difficulties to reopen fully and adhere to physical distancing and class sizes
The plan and its accompanying documentation provides schools with guidance on training, checklists for schools on preparing for reopening and guidance for operating the school safely in a COVID-19 context. It advises on areas across logistics, curriculum, teaching, managing school activities, supporting pupils with additional needs, administration and wellbeing.
Minister Foley said:
“This is a comprehensive plan that will support our schools to reopen for the new school year.
“We have worked extremely hard to develop plans that not only provide certainty to schools as to what they need to do, but that are meaningful, practical, and realistic. These have been informed by the expertise and collaboration of the stakeholders, and truly take account of how schools operate on a day-to-day basis. I want to thank everyone involved for the huge commitment in bringing this vast amount of work together.
“There is a strong emphasis in the roadmap on safety, and on practical arrangements, but also on ensuring the wellbeing of the students and of the entire staff community.
“I am deeply conscious that children and young people have had their learning disrupted due to the global pandemic. So many of our teachers, our school staff and our parents and students went far beyond their normal roles to keep teaching and to provide learning experiences to students. It was an enormously challenging time.
“Our schools now face another challenge, to support our students to return to and stay in school safely, to re-engage them and support them to settle in, and progress in their learning.
“I know well the calibre of the teachers and the staff teams in the schools across the country. I am confident that the measures we have put in place will equip those teams with the additional knowledge, practical supports and resources that they will need to do that.
“I have today written to all members of school staff and to parents, thanking them for the roles they are playing and will continue to play as we return at the end of August. We will continue to communicate with schools and through them with parents and students, as schools return, and keep a close eye to ensure that the supports are working as they should.
“I am delighted we have been able to secure such a comprehensive package of support, which will ensure that at the end of August we will once again hear the joy and laughter of children and young people in our schools.”
The Department of Education has prepared a suite of support materials for schools, including guidance on curriculum, wellbeing of students, wellbeing of staff as well as protocols for minimising the risk of spread of infection in schools.
Online ‘Return to Work’ training will be provided for all members of school staff, with separate components for teaching staff, SNAs, administrative and cleaning staff.
In addition to the guidance on supporting wellbeing in schools on returning, a suite of supports for school staff will also be provided to schools by the National Educational Psychological Service in conjunction with the department’s support services [1] and with the HSE and Tusla Education Support Service.
The Department of Education is also making additional provision for special schools and special classes, in recognition of the particular challenges that these schools and classes will face dealing with children with complex medical and care needs.
Minister Madigan said:
“This plan provides great certainty on how schools will be able to operate to support students with special educational needs. Parents, teachers and SNAs can be assured that all appropriate measures will be taken to secure the safety and wellbeing of the children, while ensuring their education can continue.
“We know that these pupils have been impacted greatly by not being in a regular routine of school, and that they will need particular support at the time of transition back to school.
“I am pleased to have secured a dedicated suite of actions in the area of special education, recognising the additional needs and vulnerabilities that children face. There will be additional funds for Special Schools and mainstream schools with special classes to support them in re-opening fully. This includes making sure that all SNA absences are fully covered so that children with complex needs receive the support that they require. There will also be funding for enhanced cleaning and additional support staff in schools.
“I am also particularly pleased that the government has supported the introduction of 120 guidance posts into our schools, to support the wellbeing of all students, particularly those with additional needs.
“The expansion of the National Educational Psychological Service to include 17 new psychologist posts is another immensely positive step and will be of enormous benefit to students with additional needs.
“I’ve seen at first hand the benefits of the summer provision programme for students, and the students. This package is immensely practical, it has workable solutions that have been worked out by those who know the systems best, and will support schools to make that transition back for every child.
“As Minister with responsibility for special education, I will continue to advocate for the needs of children and their families. I am very conscious of the needs of children at very high risk and will work with colleagues across the system to ensure that they can continue to make progress, though they may not be able to return to school in the same way as others.”
The plan recognises that some children who have complex medical or special educational needs may not be able to return to school at the end of August because the relevant public health guidelines indicate they are at “very high risk”.
Schools will have discretion to manage and redistribute their teaching support resources in order to best meet the learning needs of these students.
The department has worked closely with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), the State Examinations Commission (SEC) and the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) on supporting schools in mediating the curriculum for the new school year and has produced a number of guidance documents to support schools at both primary and post-primary.
At primary level the purpose of the guidance documents is to ensure that pupils/students can settle back into school, that all of the school community can stay safe and well and pupils/students can pick up and progress their learning, experiencing as full and enjoyable a curriculum as possible. The guidance also outlines the learning approaches which schools should take and the need to allow for revisiting and revising of areas of the curriculum to reinforce and consolidate learning.
It is recognised that pupils with SEN will require particular support at the time of transition back to school including supporting their wellbeing, reducing potential anxiety and planning learning experiences that take account of the effect of school closures on their progress.
A number of document and supports have also been produced to support post primary school with specific focus on transition to post-primary, students facing assessment in 2021, Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) and Transition Year (TY).
The financial package does not include grants that will be provided to schools to fund any hand sanitiser and personal protective equipment as a public procurement process has not yet been finalised. When the procurement process is complete, and the drawdown framework is in place in early August, the additional funding to schools to obtain hand sanitiser and other PPE to support reopening and the 2020/21 school year will be advised directly to schools. Accompanying guidelines to schools on accessing the drawdown framework will also issue in early August.
School Transport Scheme services operated by Bus Éireann on behalf of the department will fully operate as normal, in line with public health advice, when schools reopen for the 2020/2021 school year.
In planning for normal resumption of school transport services consideration has been taken of the fact that school transport somewhat differs to public transport in that:
Observing hygiene requirements will be a key priority and clear communication to all parents of children or to older students using school transport services will set out the following requirements for those travelling on school transport:
Additional funding of €11.3 million has been provided as part of the package today to support hygiene, PPE and cleaning requirements.
The Department of Education has published a range of documents today as part of the overall suite, including Returning to School guidance on learning and school programmes for both primary and post-primary school leaders and teachers, a Circular on funding and staffing arrangements to apply in schools for the 2020/21 school year and specific guidance for schools in relation to Transition Year and Leaving Cert Applied programmes.
The department is putting in place a dedicated team to support schools in applying the new arrangements in relation to Minor Works Grants, additional staffing, replacement staffing, and substitution.
A helpline number and email is being provided directly to school principals to address queries and to support schools in their planning for reopening.
ENDS
Reopening Our Schools: The Roadmap for The Full Return to School and the supporting documentation is hosted on gov.ie/backtoschool. This site will be updated over the coming weeks as a live resource for schools and parents for practical guidance, support documentation and resources.
A summary of the financial measures contained in the funding package that accompanies the plan is below:
Proposals for COVID-19 Funding Costs Associated with the Roadmap for the Full Return to School for the School Year 2020/21
| Provision | What will this funding support | Total Costs €m |
| Targeted Supports in Advance of Reopening | ||
| Minor Capital Grant | This will facilitate preparatory works to be completed in schools to facilitate reopening such as refurbishment of toilets and reconfiguration of school spaces. | €75 million (incl. in July Stimulus) |
| Return to School Grant – employ an aide | This allows schools to employ an aide to implement the logistical changes needed in schools – moving furniture, changing classroom layouts, set up hand sanitising stations, signage and so on. It is calculated on a sliding scale to reflect pupil enrolments and school type. | €4.2 million |
| Supports to Sustain Reopening | ||
| Replace teachers who are unable to work due to being at “very high risk of COVID-19” | This allows schools to replace teachers who have been assessed as unable to return to the workplace. These staff can work from home in line with arrangements that are consistent with the approach for the civil and public service. | €70 million |
| Replace teachers for absences which are not currently covered by the existing substitute scheme | This will prevent splitting of classes in primary schools which increases the risk of introduction and spread of COVID-19. Examples of when this happens include absences for self-certified sick leave, exam leave, witness in Court and so on. | €41.2 million |
| Replacements for non-teaching staff who are unable to work due to being at “very high risk” of COVID-19 and for absences not currently covered by existing substitute arrangements - Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) and Caretakers, Secretaries and Cleaners | SNAs are assigned for the care needs of pupils with special educational needs. It is not possible for these children to function in a school setting without access to an SNA. This is an important support for children with SEN to allow them to fully access education in school settings so when an SNA is absent this support will allow a school to recruit a replacement. Caretakers, cleaners and secretaries also provide critical support to schools and given the particular emphasis on effective cleaning regime in schools in the post COVID-19 environment, it is essential that these staff are replaced when absence due to illness. | €14.7 million |
| Release time for Lead Worker Representative (LWR) to comply with COVID-19 requirements | There is a requirement under the COVID-19 Plan for a LWR in each workplace. This person/s provide an important support to schools to manage the risk of COVID-19 infections. | €3.8 million |
| Release days for teaching Principals and certain categories of Deputy Principals in Primary Schools | There is a particular requirement to support Principals and Deputy Principals in primary and special schools where many also undertake teaching duties. This will ptovide additional time for those teachers to manage the implementation of COVID-19 measures in the schools. | €10.2 million |
| Additional teaching and guidance posts in Post Primary Schools | Managing of COVID-19 in a post-primary school environment is particularly challenging. Additional teaching posts allows these schools the flexibility to manage a variety of complex arrangements including challenges with class sizes and some additional support for school management. These posts will be allocated based on school type to reflect enrolments and special education provision, along with a reserve of posts to support schools who have specific identified needs in implementing COVID-19 measures. Guidance support is particularly important in a COVID-19 context and up to 120 guidance posts are being provided. | €53 million |
| Supervision in Post Primary Schools | Supervision in post primary schools is more complex as a result of COVID-19 reflecting the additional complexities of timetabling and so on. Additional supervision on corridors, greater oversight for morning, lunch and evening, at lockers, bathrooms and in suspected cases of COVID-19. This will allocated to schools on a sliding scale to reflect enrolments | €40 million |
| School Cleaning Grant | This will allow all schools to have enhanced cleaning regimes in place to minimise the risk of introduction and spread of COVID-19. This is being provided on a per pupil basis and is intended to allow an additional 4 to 6 hours cleaning per day in schools. | €52.2 million |
| Hand sanitiser and PPE grant | This will allow schools to drawdown from a national framework the necessary hand sanitiser, PPE including gloves, aprons, masks, visors and so on. This remains the subject of a public procurement process so costs are not available at this time but will be known in the first week of August. The department will provide a grant to schools, based on a sliding scale to reflect enrolments. Additional funding will be provided to special schools and special classes for these materials | TBC |
| Other Costs to allow for the Safe reopening of Schools | ||
| Additional Educational Psychologists | This will allow schools access 17 additional educational psychologists through the National Educational Psychological Service to provide for wellbeing of students including students in special schools. | €1.25 million |
| School Transport | Additional costs will arise to support the safe transport of pupils on the national transport scheme | €11.3 million |
| TOTAL: | €376.8 million | |
| - excludes sanitiser, PPE | ||
| - includes minor works grant already provided under the July stimulus |