Michael Creed
Question:39 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason his Department wishes to breach the guidelines for remedial education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14824/98]
Written Answers. - Remedial Education.
My Department has no proposals to breach the guidelines for remedial education.
I understand that the Deputy's concern arises from references made by my Department to pupils being in need of remedial teaching if they are scoring at or below the ten percentile on standardised tests.
The guidelines on remedial education referred to by the Deputy do not recommend that pupils scoring below a certain level on standardised tests should be automatically selected for remedial teaching. Rather they state that a certain score on standardised tests be used as an initial screening device to identify pupils who may be in need of remedial teaching.
Pupils performing below the level specified in the guidelines are considered to need further, more detailed, individual testing of a curriculum related type before determining whether they would benefit from remedial teaching.
The guidelines recommend that final selection of pupils for remedial teaching should be as a result of testing, increased teacher vigilance, and informed consultation between the principal and staff as to which children might have greatest need of or get most benefit from remedial teaching.
My Department's references to the ten percentile reflect the Report of the Special Education Review Committee, which recommended that remedial teaching be specifically targeted at pupils who function at or below the ten percentile on a standardised, norm-referenced attainment test in literacy, mathematics or both.