Laois & Offaly ETB hears 'all children are different, and all children belong
Laois & Offaly Education and Training Board (ETB) schools and education partners gathered for the national RISE (Realising Inclusive Special Education) showcase, which highlighted how inclusive practice is already improving learning, belonging and engagement for young people across the system.
Laois & Offaly Education and Training Board (ETB) schools and education partners gathered for the national RISE (Realising Inclusive Special Education) showcase, which highlighted how inclusive practice is already improving learning, belonging and engagement for young people across the system.
Led by Education & Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) in partnership with Mary Immaculate College (MIC), the RISE strategy supports schools to plan inclusively, collaborate within and across schools, and use resources more effectively for the benefit of all students. Schools at the showcase demonstrated clearer whole school planning, smoother student transitions and stronger teamwork, reflecting a shift from isolated supports to shared responsibility.
Now embedded in over 220 post primary schools nationwide, RISE is increasingly recognised as a practical model for system integration. Originally developed within the ETB sector, it now includes ETB, JMB and ACCS schools, and brings together schools, higher education institutions and national education agencies to align policy, practice and research.
Dr Johanna Fitzgerald, ETBI National Inclusion, Special Education and Research Coordinator and RISE Lead, described RISE as a celebration of belonging, progress and partnership across school communities. “RISE provides an architecture for self improving schools. It shows what is possible when policy ambition is matched with sustained support for implementation.”
The showcase also reflected the national momentum following Minister Naughton’s and Minister Moynihan’s announcement on enhanced resources to schools to continue providing inclusive special class provision. Dr Fitzgerald noted that many schools are already working in this way. “Special classes are most effective when they operate as a whole school resource, not a separate space,” she said. “The Minister’s announcement strengthens work already happening across our schools, where students stay connected to their peers while accessing flexible supports.”
Showcasing the vision for inclusive, special education
Throughout the day, schools shared their work through posters, photo displays and video presentations, reflecting a shared commitment to belonging for all learners. These exhibits reinforced Helen Walsh’s (National Council for Special Education - NCSE) keynote message which emphasised belonging for all as the goal “all children are different, and all children belong.”
In his closing keynote, Dr Brian MacGiolla Phádraig, Assistant Chief Inspector at the Department of Education and Youth, highlighted RISE as an example of effective collaboration across schools and agencies to drive sustainable change.
Parent perspective at RISE
Parent perspectives were also central to the event. Sarah Jane Gunn, parent and guidance counsellor, spoke about the importance of communication between schools and families, noting that inclusion is about how a child’s experience is shared, not just where they are placed.
Education & Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) is the national representative association for its members – Ireland’s sixteen Education & Training Boards (ETBs) -and negotiates on behalf of the ETB sector at various forums both within the education sector, the wider public service and at EU level. Its mission is to lead and advance the continued development of education, training and youth work in Ireland and its vision is to harness the strength of the sector to influence and promote collaboration and collective effort. ETBI is guided by its core values of excellence, care, equality, community and respect. Follow ETBI on Instagram Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Education and Training Boards
Ireland’s sixteen Education and Training Boards are the leading state providers of education and training in Ireland. Collectively, the sixteen Education and Training Boards have responsibility for 30 Community National Schools and 250 post primary schools with over 117,000 students. ETB post-primary schools are the largest provider of education through the medium of Irish with 48 schools. ETBs are also the largest provider of multi-denominational education in Ireland. ETBs also deliver Further Education and Training to over 226,000 FET learners each year across 500+ learner locations and play a central role in the delivery of apprenticeships and traineeships in partnership with employers. ETBs also support, monitor, and deliver youth services. The ETB Sector employs over 32,000 people and has a combined annual spend in excess of €2bn. Directory of ETBs here.