asked the Minister for Education if he will state his plans for the education of mildly mentally retarded children; and if it is his intention to have them taught in separate schools or in separate classrooms.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Mentally Retarded Children.
66.
Many of these children are already being taught either in special schools or special classes in ordinary national schools. It is the intention to make such special provision for the mildly handicapped as may be recommended in the Report of the Commission on Mental Handicap.
Can the Minister state how many special schools there are and how many special classes in ordinary national schools?
There are 20 special classes for mentally retarded children. I have not available the number of special classes in ordinary national schools.
Will the Minister state if there are further plans to increase this accommodation and whether he thinks he will soon overtake the backlog that exists?
As I have explained to the Deputy, it is the intention to make such special provision as may be recommended in the Report of the Commission on Mental Handicap.
In other words, nothing will be done until this famous report comes out?
As I have said, many of these children are already being taught in special schools or special classes in ordinary national schools but a comprehensive plan will be formulated for them on receipt of the Report of the Commission on Mental Handicap. It is quite wrong to say that nothing will be done because a great deal has been done already.
They did nothing.
Does the Minister not appreciate that quite a number of these children are being taught in the ordinary classrooms?
67.
asked the Minister for Education what plans he has for the arrangement of specialised courses for primary teachers who wish to undertake the education of mentally retarded children.
Under an arrangement made four years ago 15 trained teachers are selected annually to undergo a special course of training in St. Patrick's Training College. The course is of six to eight months duration and teachers who satisfactorily complete it teach either in special schools or special classes for handicapped children.
Can the Minister indicate how many teachers are available and how many are required to meet the position?
As I have said, the formulation of a comprehensive scheme for these children awaits the report of the Commission on Mental Handicap.
The children have to be taught. They cannot be taught without teachers. Can the Minister not answer the simple question: how many teachers are available and how many does the Minister expect will be available in the near future?
The teachers are already teaching these children. They come from a wide range of sources, like university graduates, trained national teachers, Montessori teachers, and these courses are for people already in charge of classes who have not special training in the teaching of this type of child.
That is not the supplementary question. The supplementary question that I asked is, how many teachers has the Minister available and how many does he expect will be available, at the present rate of progress, in the near future?
How many teachers so trained?
Yes.
There are teachers otherwise trained teaching these classes. I can get the information for the Deputy if he puts down another question.
That is what the question is.
It is not the question.
It is the question.