PRESS RELEASE
Dáil Debates Children’s Rights Alliance Report on the Devastating Impact of Homelessness on Children’s Education
Today the Dáil will debate a report on the impact of homelessness on children’s education following a motion introduced during Private Members’ time by Deputy Thomas Byrne TD to the Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh TD. The report, ‘Home Works: A Study on the Educational Needs of Children Experiencing Homelessness and Living in Emergency Accommodation’ published last year by the Children’s Rights Alliance highlights the devastating impact of homelessness on thousands of children in Ireland.
Commenting today, Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, said: “There are more homeless children in Ireland than ever before. We know since last week that there are now just shy of 4,000. Behind each of these numbers is a heart-breaking story. Homelessness is devastating at every level and removes the basic foundation children need in their lives to go to school, to learn and to thrive.
Children experiencing homelessness are stressed, irritable and exhausted. Over time they develop low self-esteem and become isolated. And we know when children feel like this they stop attending school and are vulnerable to dropping out.
Our ‘Home Works’ report calls for a number of tangible recommendations that can make a real difference. We have called for a ring-fenced fund for schools to provide for children’s needs, including psychological assessment and support, extracurricular activities, homework clubs, additional tuition, or wrap-around services delivered within the school premises. Also needed is increased provision of the Home School Community Liaison programme, and extension of this service to non-DEIS schools with children experiencing homelessness.
These changes aren’t rocket science but they are small changes that will help keep children in schools.
We welcome that the Government has indicated that it will not oppose the motion. While it is not a fix-all, in passing the motion the Dáil will be putting down a strong marker that the educational needs of children in homelessness deserve serious and immediate attention. Childhood is short and we must do all that we can today.”
ENDS
Contact: Emma McKinley / Emma Archbold, Children’s Rights Alliance, Tel: 01 6629400 / 087 6559067, Email: emma@childrensrights.ie
Notes to Editor:
1. Spokespeople: Tanya Ward, Chief Executive of the Children’s Rights Alliance, and Grainne McKenna from the DCU Institute of Education are available for interview.
2. Home Works: A Study on the Educational Needs of Children Experiencing Homelessness and Living in Emergency Accommodation’ is available to download here. The study was commissioned by the Children's Rights Alliance and carried out by Dr. Geraldine Scanlon and Grainne McKenna from the DCU Institute of Education. For the report, semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents of children experiencing homelessness; a survey questionnaire was completed by educational professionals working in primary and post-primary schools in the greater Dublin region; and semi-structured interviews were conducted with school principals, teachers, home-school liaison officers and early childhood professionals working directly with children experiencing homelessness. The study commenced in June 2017, with data collection taking place from July 2017 to November 2017.
3. The Dáil motion being debated today is:
“That Dáil Éireann:
notes that:
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all children, including those who are homeless or living in emergency accommodation, have the constitutional right to free primary education;
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all children and young people should have access to secondary education and not have to leave before they have completed their education because of a lack of resources;
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according to the latest statistics provided by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, there are currently 3,784 children living in emergency accommodation;
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a recent survey by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network found that there are children experiencing homelessness in 27 per cent of primary schools;
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there is no Government policy to cater for the educational needs of children who are homeless or living in emergency accommodation and the needs of these children are mentioned neither in the Action Plan for Education, nor the Department of Education and Skills Statement of Strategy 2019-2021;
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many children experiencing homelessness do not attend Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) schools, and do not have access to the same level of supports that students in DEIS schools would be provided with; and
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the delay in processing the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance in 2018 by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, placed additional pressure on families with limited incomes;
agrees that:
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families with children experiencing homelessness should be provided with material assistance and support programmes to ensure their right to education can be fulfilled;
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in placing families in emergency and temporary accommodation, every possible attempt should be made to maintain children’s educational stability and continuity of school placement; and
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all schools and educational settings making provision for children experiencing homelessness should have access to resources and/or facilities to provide children with regular, nutritious food;
recognises that:
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school is often the only stable environment for children in emergency accommodation;
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disruption to children’s lives and instability arising from homelessness negatively impacts on children’s capacity for learning and ability to develop and retain relationships with peers and staff in the school setting;
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pupils experiencing homelessness have been shown to present with a number of visible mental health issues, including high levels of anxiety, self-stigma, embarrassment and low levels of self-esteem, which ultimately impact on their ability to socialise in school and maintain friendships;
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homelessness can affect children’s school attendance along with reduced engagement and participation in school life and learning;
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principals and teachers have been to the forefront of limiting the negative impacts of homelessness on children’s education but with no assistance from the Government; and
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schools will receive a 5 per cent increase in capitation funding from September 2019, but that this increase remains significantly lower than previous years; and
calls on the Government to:
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collect information on the prevalence of children experiencing homelessness who do not have access to the additional supports provided by the Department of Education and Skills;
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establish a €5 million initial ring-fenced fund for schools to provide for the needs of children experiencing homelessness attending school throughout the academic year, through the Department of Education and Skills;
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have the Department of Education and Skills issue a circular to provide advice and guidance regarding educational provision for children experiencing homelessness including recommendations to boards of management to address additional school costs;
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examine whether the Department of Education and Skills could consider increasing Home School Community Liaison provision where there is increased demand and extend the service to non-DEIS schools who are supporting children experiencing homelessness;
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expand the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness Inter-Agency Group to include representatives from the Department of Education and Skills;
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examine whether the July Education Programme could be extended to children who have experienced significant disruption to their education as a result of homelessness and produce a report on this matter within three months;
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develop appropriate professional development training for teachers and schools making provision for children experiencing homelessness through the Teacher Education Section of the Department of Education and Skills;
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plan ahead for the longer-term impact of homelessness on the educational experience of these children and the disruption that it may have caused through the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and Tusla;
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examine the expansion of the School Meals Local Projects Scheme to schools that report increases in homelessness; and
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implement the recommendations of the Children’s Rights Alliance Home Works report.”
About the Children’s Rights Alliance
Founded in 1995, the Children’s Rights Alliance unites over 100 members working together to make Ireland one of the best places in the world to be a child. Further information is available at: www.childrensrights.ie or on Twitter, @ChildRightsIRL #HomeWorks