In late 1998, my Department announced that primary school children with special educational needs would have automatic entitlement to additional resources. Shortly after that, circular letters to schools were issued, describing the roles of resource teachers and special needs assistants and quantifying the level of resources to be allocated in respect of each category of disability. The current versions of these circulars are 7/02 and 8/02.
When a school principal receives a professional report that indicates that a child may be eligible for additional resources, she/he makes application to the special education section, using forms SER 1 and SER 2. The professional reports are retained in the school. However, the school principal signs a declaration stating, among other things, that the application has been discussed with the parents/guardians of the children involved and that the application is based on relevant assessment reports that are available for inspection by the Department.
Before Christmas, a survey conducted by the Department's inspectorate indicated that there was a significant number of anomalies in the applications for extra resources. My Department therefore decided to review the most recent round of applications. In view of the confidential nature of professional reports on individual children, NEPS psychologists were asked to conduct this review.