Helen McEntee, the Minister of Education and Youth, informed the Dáil that since the epidemic, the percentage of primary school students who miss more than 20 days of school has doubled, reports RTE.
Ms. McEntee outlined her goals in her new position, stating that she was committed to taking action to buck the trend and that the regrettable rise in absenteeism was particularly more severe among some groups of children and young people.
The expansion of the education portfolio to include ‘Youth’, she argued, presented a genuine chance to do so, reports RTE.
“There are many complex reasons why children don’t attend school and tackling this requires a real partnership approach of school, home, and community supports, listening to our children and young people,” she said.
In order to guarantee that the educational system is inclusive of all of our kids, Ms. McEntee stated that she want to put “a significant focus” on helping children with special educational needs reach their full potential, reports RTE.
According to her, this entailed increasing the number of SNAs and special education instructors, launching more special schools and special courses, and giving special schools access to more resources.
She highlighted efforts to provide a standardised application process for kids applying to special schools or courses, saying this may be “a game changer for parents,” reports RTE.
In order to guarantee that the educational system is inclusive of all of our kids, Ms. McEntee stated that she want to put “a significant focus” on helping children with special educational needs reach their full potential.
According to her, this entailed increasing the number of SNAs and special education instructors, launching more special schools and special courses, and giving special schools access to more resources.
She highlighted efforts to provide a standardised application process for kids applying to special schools or courses, saying this may be “a game changer for parents,” reports RTE.
Regarding the DEIS program for schools that have a high proportion of students from underprivileged families, Ms. McEntee stated that she planned to give priority to initiatives that can bridge the gap between DEIS and non-DEIS schools.
“In particular I will place a focus on improving outcomes for children from areas of high deprivation and increasing innovation and collaboration between schools,” reports RTE.
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