My Department's circular of October 2002 to all schools advised of the introduction of a term-based approach to the processing of applications for resource teacher and special needs assistant support. Under the term-based approach it was indicated that applications for the supports in question received in my Department by close of business on 8 November 2002 would be responded to in the week commencing 9 December 2002. It was further indicated that applications received after 8 November 2002 would be treated as applications for the final school term and that the closing date for applications for this term would be notified to schools early in the second school term.
The circular of February 2003 advised schools of the procedures which would apply in respect of applications for resource teacher and special needs assistant support for the last term of the current school year. It advised schools that all applications received by close of business on 7 February 2003 would be rated as applications for the last school term and that my Department would respond to these applications in the week commencing 7 April 2003. It was subsequently decided to extend this cut-off date for applications from 7 February to 14 February 2003 in order to give schools some additional time to submit their applications.