asked the Minister for Education his views on whether the present psychological service available to primary schools is totally adequate and whether it results in most students who would need such a service not being detected early enough; and if he will consider the urgent introduction of a fully comprehensive school psychological service so that those children who begin to experience difficulties can be assessed and the appropriate remedial action taken.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - School Psychological Service.
3.
The formal psychological service available to national schools is provided by the health boards and it is widely used in the placement of pupils in special schools. In line with the proposal in paragraph 4.4 of the Programme for Action in Education 1984-1987, meetings are being held with the Department of Health with a view to strengthening the assessment service being provided for children with special problems.
There are no plans at present to introduce a national school psychological service of the type envisaged by the Deputy.
Is the Minister aware that that is the same answer I received 12 months ago on the same question? At that time talks were on-going between the various agencies concerned with the health and psychological services appertaining particularly to primary school pupils. When will they talk through their problems and come to a resolution? There is not an integrated psychological service for primary school pupils. It happens in isolation and often there is no referral back to the teacher. There is no link between the health services, the psychological services and the school authorities.
I am aware that a Department of Education psychological service is not available to all the national schools, but the service provided by the health boards is used very widely by the school authorities in the placement of pupils in special schools. BA students cover educational psychology in their training in considerable depth and often the normal class teacher is well equipped to deal with the psychological development of the child. In our overall budgetary situation, a national psychological service operated by the Department of Education is not feasible at this time.
Would the Minister not agree that the psychologists supplied by the health board are geared towards different work and that the facility which exists at the moment is totally unsatisfactory, that the health board psychologists are also dissatisfied with the system and that there is a need for a direct department psychological service?
The Department psychologists operate in a supporting role for the guidance of remedial teachers in post-primary schools and the service provided by the health boards is used extensively for the placement of pupils in special classes and special schools by the school authority.
I am aware of that, but in the light of the overall serious problem which is increasing in relation to children in primary schools, will the Minister seriously consider establishing a pilot scheme directly under hic Department?
If the Deputy has suggestions in that regard I will welcome them and examine them but I cannot give a guarantee about setting up a national scheme.