Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.
Andrew Boylan
Question:
14
Mr. Boylan
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if he will urgently develop a database on children with special needs in the education system in order that a coherent approach to planning for the meeting of their needs will be put in place.
[7250/00]
(Dr. Woods): At present, my Department collects statistics on the number of pupils with special needs attending special schools and special classes attached to mainstream primary schools. However, information on special needs pupils attending mainstream schools on a fully integrated basis is not specifically collected.
My Department is currently planning to extend the range of data gathered on special needs pupils, as part of the development of a comprehensive database on individual pupils. The objective is to develop a database which will provide critical information on all pupils, including those with special needs, to support the development and implementation of policy.
A total of £4.5 million is being provided to develop this database over the next three years. This includes £500,000 which is being provided in the current year. The IT unit of my Department is currently preparing a development plan for the database project and it is intended to implement the first phase in a pilot group of schools during the coming school year. It is anticipated that the project will use the latest internet based technologies to facilitate the convenient transfer of data to my Department from schools.
Arising from a Government decision of October 1998 all children assessed as having special educational needs within the primary system now have an automatic entitlement to special support services. Already, as a result of this development, my Department has allocated an additional 225 resource teachers and 642 child care assistants to support children with special needs in the primary system.
All primary schools have been advised of this development and of the procedures to be followed in seeking support for special needs pupils. My Department is responding to requests for such support on an ongoing basis and will continue to make relevant resources available to support such pupils. This process is already providing significant and valuable data on the prevalence of special needs within the primary system. The database which is now being planned will facilitate the development of a more detailed and comprehensive picture of the level of special needs within the system.
