AQW 13758/17-22
Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim
Tabled Date: 29/01/2021
Answered On Date: 04/02/2021
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Education what support has been provided to (i) special schools; and (ii) all other schools to improve communication, and, in turn, compliance of the COVID-19 regulations.
Answer:
Supplementary guidance for Special Schools was issued on 21 January 2021. This guidance is intended to supplement the DE Coronavirus Guidance for Education Settings (last updated 8 December 2020). As with that guidance, the Special School Guidance has been informed by judgements based on the scientific and public health advice available at the time of writing and should be read and applied in conjunction with the latest public health guidance available. Regular meetings are held with the Special Schools Strategic Leadership Group and the Department, the EA and Public Health Agency (PHA) to address concerns / queries in a timely manner. I wrote to all Special School Principals on 25 January to acknowledge and express his appreciation and gratitude for the continued efforts of Special School Principals and school staff in maintaining provision for children in Special Schools; and to set out the actions taken to support you and your colleagues. My Department has been working closely with the Education Authority (EA), and the Department of Health and Public Health Agency (PHA) to consider other measures to reduce risks and to support staff within Special Schools. The Department issued updated PHA guidance (4 January 2021) to educational settings on safe working during the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. I presented a paper to the Executive which argued strongly for vaccination of school staff with priority given to those teachers and staff supporting Special Schools, as the vaccination programme rolls out. Following Executive consideration further engagement between both Departments occurred and Ministers have now agreed staff in special schools who are supporting children with the most complex healthcare needs will be offered the Covid-19 vaccine. Both Health and Education Departments have also agreed and announced a PHA proposal to commence weekly asymptomatic testing for Special School staff and pupils. My Department has developed and published several pieces of key guidance to schools and educational settings to assist them through this difficult period. Development and update of the guidance has been an open and transparent process. Inputs and views have been sought from and provided by the Public Health Agency, Trade Unions and a Practitioner’s group of over 20 schools principals. Guidance for Schools and Educational settings is constantly under review and will be updated as needed and driven by health advice provided by the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser. I brought forward a range of measures within education settings aimed at curbing the spread of Covid in Assembly statements on 21st and 31st December. These were produced following discussions with the Department of Health, and cognisant of the requirement that schools could not reopen as normal in January. These included measures making face coverings compulsory in classroom settings in post primary schools, increased enforcement of face coverings on school transport, work with the Department of Health on widening the usage of test and tracing within schools, improved visibility of signage to parents on school gates, and targeted messaging to young people.
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