Sixteen one-stop shops for all schools, English classes, and ICT devices amongst measures

Education and Training Boards (ETBs) are coordinating the development of sixteen multi-agency Regional Education and Language Teams (REALT), delivering English Language classes, and deploying laptops and tablets to support schools providing places for Ukrainian children.

Each Regional Education and Language Team includes professionals and representatives from Tusla’s Education Support Service, school psychological services, special education needs specialists and school management bodies. ETBs also have
• A dedicated Coordinator to support each Regional Education and Language Team
• A dedicated school support email and phone number
• A dedicated register of ICT devices (laptops, notebooks, tablets, and other mobile devices) to facilitate eLearning.

While schools continue to be the primary contact point for Ukrainian families seeking places for their children, the Regional Education and Language Teams will assist those schools in terms of supporting capacity, sharing information and resources including those for ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages).

ETB Further Education & Training (FET) services will play a key role in the delivery of ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) providing
• A single point of contact for ESOL provision through their Adult Education Officer
• Access to nationwide network of adult guidance services
• A Family Learning ESOL toolkit.

Welcoming these developments, ETBI General Secretary Paddy Lavelle stated: “Because of our nationwide locations and in-house administrative supports, Education and Training Boards are ideally placed to co-ordinate this response in collaboration with our partners across the entire school sector. We are all focussed on making the initial entry into our education system as stress-free as possible for our Ukrainian arrivals. ETBI has also appointed a designated lead to support our ETB members and we are liaising closely with the Department of Education and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.”

“I have also been delighted to hear stories of compassion and warmth about our member ETBs, their staff and learners from welcome and information sessions in Co Dublin to a traditional music and dance school welcome and parent and baby English classes in Co Clare” he concluded.

You can download this statement in the following languages:

ETBI Press Release Irish

ETBI Press Release RUSSIAN

ETBI Press Release UKRAINIAN

Ireland’s Education and Training Boards lead national education response to those fleeing Ukraine

Kingswood Apple Distinguished School Photo

KCC has been recognised as an Apple Distinguished School 2021 – 2024, for their innovative and creative use of iPads in Teaching and Learning.

Since the foundation of Kingswood Community College the staff have always embraced Digital Technology and the iPad. They took their time to master their craft, developing their skills through CPD. They strive to ensure that the iPad is not just a glorified book or tool for learning, it is a gateway to develop the skills that are not only necessary to succeed in school but also in later life.

As the school developed students became the leaders in the implementation of the iPad. They became the Digital Leaders and developed a student-led initiative to offer peer-to-peer support to the younger year groups. Their student team has been and continues to be integral in the successful implementation of the iPad in KCC.

Kingswood Apple Distinguished School Students

In 2018, KCC began the journey with UDL or Universal Design for Learning. UDL’s aim is to provide a fully inclusive environment that aims to make learning accessible to all. The use of the iPad became a perfect fit to allow teachers to enact the principals of UDL. The application for ‘Apple Distinguished School’ was an exemplar of just how seamlessly digital technology allows for the successful implementation of UDL.

Kingswood CC are lucky to have an innovative, driven & hard-working team of staff and students who continue to strive for excellence in our Trad-Digital school.

Robert Dunne is the Apple Distinguished School Coordinator at Kingswood Community College.

I have always been a strong advocate for the enhancement of teaching and learning through appropriate uses of technology. We can’t keep doing the same thing repeatedly and expect to keep up with the needs of our students. The creativity possible on iPad has put a powerful resource in our students hand. A resource that provides an independence and autonomy in their learning and fosters a problem solving culture amongst students. With our UDL focus, personalised learning has reached a new high. This formed the golden thread through our successful application to become an Apple Distinguished School.

Huge congratulations to the entire Kingswood CC community.

You can find out more about their story here.

Kingswood Apple Distinguished School Banner

•            €500,000 will be made available to local community-based projects nationwide to support the integration of migrants.

•            Grants of up to €5,000 will be allocated to successful organisations to support integration initiatives.

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today approved €500,000 in funding under the Communities Integration Fund 2022.

Now in its sixth year, the Communities Integration Fund celebrates the rich cultural diversity within local communities and enables local community-based organisations across Ireland to play a greater role in supporting the integration of migrants.  Successful organisations stand to receive grant funding of €1,000 – €5,000 to support local integration initiatives.

Welcoming the announcement, Minister O’Gorman said:

“I am delighted to announce the launch of the Communities Integration Fund 2022. Irish society has been enriched by increased cultural diversity and we must ensure that migrants are supported to actively participate in Irish society while maintaining their own cultural identity. This funding will bolster the great work being done by local communities to welcome new cultures.” 

How to apply:

Applicants can access a detailed guidance document and complete an online application form here.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 12 pm on Wednesday 6^th April 2022.

Purpose of projects/activities

This call is open to local community-based groups and centres around 10 key themes to support migrant integration:

• Intercultural Awareness;
• Combating Racism and Xenophobia;
• Sport & Community Games;
• Arts;
• Food/Cuisine;
• Community Events;
• Capacity Building;
• Employment;
• Education;
• Integration Research.

As part of the response to the crisis in Ukraine, the Adult Education Guidance Service is the point of contact for refugees.  Below you can find the contact details for each of the DDLETB Adult Education Services.

• Adult Education Guidance and Information Service Balbriggan and Swords

• https://adulteducationnorthcountydublin.ie/about/adult-education-guidance-and-information-service/

• Adult Education Guidance and Information Service Blanchardstown

  https://bit.ly/3qarki0

• Adult Education Guidance and Information Service Tallaght- Clondalkin-Lucan

  Adult Guidance

• Adult Education Guidance and Information Service Dundrum – Dun Laoghaire

  https://www.adulteducationsoutheast.com/about/adult-guidance-service/