Vol. 563 No. 2
201 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Science the position with reference to the employment of resource teachers at national schools; if a reduction or withdrawal of such service is being planned for Aughrim national school, Ballinasloe, County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7499/03]
The post of resource teacher is an additional post allocated to assist a school or cluster of schools in providing an education which meets the requirements of children assessed as having special educational needs. Under the direction of the school principal, the role of the resource teacher is to provide additional teaching support for these children who have been fully integrated into mainstream schools and who need such support. In all cases, the model and level of support made available is based on the professionally-assessed needs of the individual child.
The school referred to by the Deputy has the services of two full-time resource teachers, one being on a shared basis. This allocation was examined by the national educational psychological service, NEPS, as part of a general review of resource teacher and special needs assistant allocations to ordinary national schools. In the case of two pupils in the school availing of resource teaching support, NEPS was unable initially to recommend that they continue to benefit from that support because the relevant documentation in their cases was unavailable. The school has since provided the documentation to NEPS and the continuance of resource teaching support has been approved for the pupils in question. My officials have been in contact with the school authorities to confirm the position.
