Educational institutions that run summer programmes have been forewarned against charging parents for their child’s spot – a practice described as “utterly unacceptable”. The Minister of State for Education, Hildegarde Naughton, highlighted a reported case where parents were requested to pay for their child’s inclusion in the scheme tailored for children with special needs. Prompt intervention deemed the matter “immediately resolved”.
Approximately €40 million worth of funds are allocated to meet all expenses, thus, the minister encouraged parents to report to the department in case of any financial requirements. She stated her willingness to communicate with parents over this matter, describing such practices as “totally inappropriate”.
Worries have been voiced by Independent MP Catherine Connolly, who brought up reports of parents having to pay teachers privately to secure their child’s inclusion. Connolly branded such practices as “entirely unacceptable”.
The summer scheme is designed to cater to children with complex special education needs, providing them school-based summer activities that can run for up to a month. Staffing and constraints in offering an activity programme in all schools have made the demand for such programmes exceed the supply.
Despite these issues, this year saw an increase in interest from schools, with over 1,700 registering an interest – a rise of 300 compared to last year. Naughton pointed out that 1,475 primary, 205 secondary and 72 special-needs schools are participating in the initiative.
Furthermore, Connolly brought up this issue to the Dáil, emphasising that although roughly 8,000 children go to special schools, fewer than half of these institutions utilise the programme.
The Minister expressed that teacher and SNA’s (Special Needs Assistants) salaries were identified by schools as an obstacle to wider involvement, so wages were augmented. Moreover, a registration platform was initiated for educators, SNAs, student teachers, as well as students from therapy, nursing, early care, social care, and care work sectors. This approach provided additional personnel to facilitate school participation.
Ms Connolly identified that some institutions utilise their facilities for hosting summer camps to generate income, and do not focus adequately on special needs. She has also received feedback from parents who are pursuing residential care as their children have regressed due to lack of access to summer programmes.
The minister observed an increasing number of children participating each year, with figures standing at 37,500 in 2021 and projected to reach 50,000 by 2023. She expressed a desire for more schools to take part each year, especially those that cater to children with complex needs. However, due to the voluntary nature of participation, the department cannot mandate schools to participate. The department would persist in reaching out to all schools and eliminating barriers to participation, as engaging more schools was of utmost importance.