Children facing lengthy hospital stays going back to school can look very different

CHILDREN’S Health Ireland has highlighted the great work that occurs in hospitals around Dublin that many members of the public are oblivious to; teaching children who are not well enough to attend mainstream schools.

For most children, September means uniforms, schoolbooks and seeing friends again but for children facing illness and lengthy hospital stays, going back to school can look very different.

Their classrooms can sometimes be a hospital ward, a bedside or a specially designed hospital school classroom, which are created to bring a sense of normality to those who need it most.

Ann Higgins, Principal of the National Children’s Hospital School (NCHI), works with a dedicated team of teachers, Special Needs Assistants and school secretaries, to provide education to children of all ages and abilities across CHI Hospitals.

These hospitals include CHI at Crumlin, CHI at Temple Street, CHI at Tallaght, plus Beaumont Hospital School, under the patronage of the City of Dublin Education and Training Board.

Their work ranges from lessons at a child’s bedside to small-group learning in the hospital’s dedicated classrooms.

“When a child is in hospital, it can be incredibly difficult and scary. Being able to attend school or have a teacher come to their bedside can bring a sense of normality and make children and young people feel safe,” said Ann.

“We try to make sure that a child’s education isn’t negatively impacted by their hospital stay.

But it’s about much more than keeping up with schoolwork.

“School gives children routine, social interaction and the opportunity to spend time with other children who understand, in their own way, what it is like to be in hospital.”

Some children may spend several days each week in hospital for treatments such as chronic illness management.

Others may face longer admissions that require for them to be separated from their classmates for months at a time.

In these cases, hospital teachers work closely with the child’s school to maintain continuity with their education.

Teachers can communicate with the child’s class teacher, follow a similar curriculum and, where appropriate, arrange virtual lessons or opportunities for children to stay connected with their classmates and friends.

The hospital school’s role does not end when a child is discharged as the Hospital Teacher may pay a visit to the child’s school to support a smooth transition back to education, advising on different approaches to learning and helping schools understand what facilities or equipment a child may need following a prolonged period of treatment.

As children across Ireland return to their classrooms this September, the hospital schools at Temple Street, Crumlin and Tallaght will be welcoming pupils, however for these children education is more than lessons and learning.

It is about helping children remain connected to their friends, their teachers and their everyday lives, while they focus on getting better.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.