Sorca Clarke
Ceist:94. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education to provide an update on the summer programme for the DEI, and SEN programmes in both mainstream schools and special schools. [29927/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 11 July 2024
Ceisteanna (94)
Freagraí scríofa
Details of the 2024 Summer Programme were published on the 21st March 2024. Funding of €40m is available and, as in previous years, all of the funding is utilised to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children.
All schools, including post primary schools, have an opportunity to run a programme over the summer months for those children who need it the most. These children can continue to be supported, nurtured and encouraged to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting.
The main priority again in 2024 is that those children with the most complex special educational needs, especially in special schools, should have access to a school-based summer programme.
All the supports and incentives introduced, both in 2024 and in previous years, have been developed and designed to increase participation by allowing all schools to provide the Summer Programme. These measures are aimed at maximising the number of children who can participate in a school-based programme with a specific focus on ensuring children with the most complex needs receive the targeted support.
More than 1,700 individual expressions of interest have been received from schools seeking to run this year’s Summer Programme – representing the highest-ever uptake of the Summer Programme. Over 1,400 schools participated in the programme in 2023.
Of the schools registered for the 2024 Summer Programme, at primary level, more than 1,100 schools have registered for the Primary School Scheme and more than 300 have registered for the DEIS Literacy & Numeracy Summer Camp. At post-primary level, more than 200 schools have registered for the Post Primary School while more than 70 special schools have registered for the Special Scheme. If all schools do run their summer programmes, we will see an increase of more than 20 per cent compared to last year.
The increase in registrations continues the positive upward trend in participation seen in the summer programmes over the last number of years. Over 50,000 children took part in the summer programme last year, compared to 13,000 in 2019 and it is expected that this will rise again in 2024. However, the number of schools and children participating will not be known until all summer programmes have been concluded and payment claims have been processed.