Summer school aims to boost participation of children with complex needs

Government ministers say changes to this year’s summer school programme are aimed at enabling more vulnerable children with complex needs to access the scheme.

More than 42,000 children with additional needs, as well as young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and migrant students, took part in the two-week programme last year.

However, just over 400 out of 8,000 children with complex needs in special schools participated in the programme last year.

Critics said the low take-up was due to the fact that schools participate on a voluntary basis, along with delays in announcing details of the scheme.

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Minister for Education Norma Foley said details of this year’s summer programme were being announced earlier this year to give schools more time to plan and greater supports will be available to support them.

A new special school pilot programme is also being announced this year with enhanced supports for pupils with complex, severe and profound needs.

In addition, there are two in-school schemes at primary level: a scheme for pupils in primary mainstream schools; and an expanded literacy and numeracy summer camp for pupils in Deis schools.

At post-primary, second level schools can offer a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage.

The €40 million programme operates at primary and post-primary level.

“The main focus for this year’s summer programme is that those children with the most complex special educational needs have access to a school-based programme,” Ms Foley said.

“From visiting the programmes last year, it is evident how much the children and the whole school community benefits from these fun and inclusive programmes. I would like to thank everyone involved in making the programme such a success, and hope that even more schools will take up this very valuable opportunity for their students this summer.”

Minister of State for special education Josepha Madigan said this year’s programme builds on last year’s which saw more than 42,000 pupils benefit from both school-based and home-based programmes.

“We were keen this year to make this announcement as early as possible to ensure schools have plenty of time to plan and use the additional supports provided,” she said.

She said a number of supports are in place to assist schools in running the summer programme this year, which include:

• Contracted teachers and special needs assistants will be paid their personal rate of pay;
• While the role of summer programme organiser must be allocated to one specific teacher, the role of summer programme manager can be shared between teachers in a school;
• There is provision for schools to recruit newly qualified teachers graduating this summer as well as the undergraduate student teachers who have registered with the Teaching Council;
• Substitute teachers, SNAs, newly qualified teachers and undergraduate student teachers will be paid their standard substitution rates;
• Schools can also recruit other external workers such as early child care workers, carers and other students in relevant areas such as therapy, nursing and social care to take part in their programme. There will be a separate portal for special schools for this purpose;
• An online portal will be available to schools to submit payment claims to simplify the process.

An online registration portal will be available soon for schools (gov.ie/summerprogramme), according to the Department of Education. When schools register, they will receive an email specifying the staffing resources that have been allocated to them. Schools will have the facility to appeal resource allocations.