Children with additional needs may return to school over the summer

The idea is being considered.

While the majority of students will not be returning to school until September, children with additional needs may be able to return sooner. Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that the government is considering opening schools back in phases. During the discussion about the reopening of schools Varadkar said that children with additional needs may be able to return to school as early as July.

"One particular area we would really like to do something on is kids who have got special needs. Children with autism and kids with an intellectual disability or behavioural problems. They have been home since march and some of them may be regressing with their development. I am really worried about that group of children and I am getting a lot of letters from their parents.” One thing we would like to do before September is something around what they call July provision, which is some summer education dedicated towards those groups of kids with the highest needs. If we do anything before September, it is going to be in that space but we want to get it right too."

Talks are still being had about how best to implement social distancing once schools resume later this year. In the UK, which is due to reopen schools in June, class room sizes are being limited and lunch times are being staggered to avoid large gatherings. Varadkar went on to say that while there is no 100 per cent safe solution to getting children back to school the government is doing everything in its power to make sure schools will be as safe as possible for students and staff. You can listen to the full interview on the Newstalk website.