Update: Support Facilities at Primary and Second Level Schools – Education and Science 27th November, 2014

Uimhir:179, 180, 187

Chun an Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíoctha
To the Minister for Education and Science

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the degree to which she expects to
be in a position to provide the necessary support facilities at primary and
second level schools throughout the country to meet the requirements of
children with special needs; if she will meet the requirements as set out by
school authorities in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the
matter.
– Bernard J. Durkan.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her priorities to deal with
special needs requirements at primary and second level at all schools
throughout the country in the coming year with particular reference to autism
and ADHD; if she is satisfied regarding the adequacy of the number of special
needs teachers and special needs assistants available; and if she will make a
statement on the matter.
-Bernard J. Durkan.

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which the various
primary and second level schools throughout County Kildare have been in touch
with her Department regarding issues such as class sizes, special needs
teachers and special needs assistants; if she will address these issues in
early date having particular regard to the rapidly increasing population of the
area; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
-Bernard J. Durkan.

* For WRITTEN answer on Thursday, 27th November, 2014.
Reference Number: 45721/14, 45722/14, 45729/14

Minister Jan O’Sullivan

I propose to take questions 179, 180 and 187 together.

The policy of my Department is that children with special educational needs,
including children with autism and ADHD should be included where possible and
appropriate in mainstream placements with additional supports provided. In
circumstances where children with special educational need require more
specialised interventions, special school or special class places are also
available.

All State-funded primary and post primary schools have been allocated
additional resources to provide for children with special educational needs
enrolled in school.

For children for whom mainstream provision may not be appropriate, my
Department has provided placement options in some 125 special schools which
have approximately 1,000 teachers and approximately 860 special classes and
units located around the country, 96 of which are early intervention classes
for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Primary and Post Primary schools have a permanent allocation of additional
teaching supports to provide for children whose educational psychological
assessment places them in the high incidence, or less complex, disability
category.

Separately, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates Special
Needs Assistants (SNAs) for children with additional care needs, as outlined in
Circular 00030/2014 and additional resource teaching hours to schools for
children who have been assessed within the low incidence, or more complex,
category of special need, as defined by my Department’s Circular Sp Ed 02/05.
The NCSE operates within my Department’s established criteria for the
allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available
to my Department.

I recently announced, as part of Budget 2015, that an additional 365 Special
Needs Assistant posts would be provided in 2015, as well as an additional 480
Resource Teachers, to take into account increased demand and demographic growth
and to ensure that children can continue to have access to additional supports
in school.

This is the highest number of Resource Teaching and SNA support that we have
ever had. These increases, building on increases which have already been
provided in recent years, will ensure that children with special educational
needs can continue to participate in education and be supported in a manner
appropriate to their needs.

Other supportrs include enhanced levels of school capitation payable to special
schools and special classes, Special School Transport arrangements, the
National Educational Psychological Service, an extended school year for pupils
who have either a severe/profound general learning disability or who have
autism and the provision for Assistive Technology/specialised equipment support
for pupils with Special Educational Needs.

I wish to advise the Deputy that I have not had any significant level of
correspondence from schools in Co. Kildare in relation to special needs
teachers and special needs assistants. Correspondence from schools in Kildare
have mainly been in relation to general staffing issues.  

We have a growing population of young people in this country and despite the
difficult financial circumstances we face as a country, we prioritised
education so that the number of teachers we have in the system has also grown
in order to protect existing pupil teacher ratios.

Staffing schedules operate in a clear and transparent manner and treats all
similar types of schools equally irrespective of location. My main priority for
any additional resources for the foreseeable future will be to cater for the
continuing increase in demographics at all levels in the education system.
There were a thousand more teachers employed in schools around the country in
the last school year, than there was the year before. There will be a further
increase of circa 1,300 teachers in the current school year.