Sir, – The letter from Fórsa (Andy Pike, June 29th) demonstrates a concerning lack of understanding of the key role Tusla Educational Welfare Services has played in supporting and developing the school completion programme since 2014.
Since coming into Tusla, the school completion programme has not been subject to any funding cuts and the programme funding has been stabilised. Further, Tusla Educational Welfare Services has invested heavily in the professional development of all school completion programme staff, which was one of the key recommendations of a report by the ESRI in 2015.
Tusla Educational Welfare Services is a key participant in the consultation being led by our colleagues in the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on the future of the school completion programme. Tusla Educational Welfare Services views the school completion programme as a core support for children and young people to ensure the barriers to their participation in education are mitigated.
We are fully supportive of the school completion programme being both maintained and expanded in the years ahead.
Personally, with almost 40 years’ experience working in the Irish education system, including five years managing a school completion programme, I would like to assure Mr Pike and your readers that both my colleagues and I in Tusla Educational Welfare Services fully understand the Irish education system. – Yours, etc,
NOEL KELLY,
Director,
Tusla Educational Welfare
Services,
Baile Átha Cliath 8.