Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.
David Stanton
Question:
128
Mr. Stanton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science,
further to Parliamentary Question No. 27 of 18 December 2002, if he will publish the results of the review of the 788 applications for resource teacher and special needs assistant support which was due for response in the week commencing 9 December 2002; the number of these applications which were deemed to confirm with terms of his Department's circulars governing such applications and which were allowed the requested supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4223/03]
David Stanton
Question:
136
Mr. Stanton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
the results of the recent review of applications for special education services which, according to letters sent from his Department to schools, has highlighted significant departures from the required procedures; the details of the required procedures; the nature of the significant departures discovered; the number of schools that have received such notification; the number of children involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4239/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 136 together.
The review to which the Deputy refers covered a total of 788 applications from schools for resource teacher or special needs assistant support. The applications in question involved a total of 1,590 individual pupils in respect of whom support was sought. Of the 1,590 pupils involved, the review concluded that the applications in respect of 948, 60%, of these pupils conformed with departmental circulars and the resources sought in these cases have been sanctioned. In the remaining cases, where resource allocations were recommended by the national educational psychological service as a result of the review, the resources in question have been sanctioned.
The procedures schools are required to follow in applying for the supports in question involve the completion of a standard application form in respect of each individual child and a summary application form covering all the children included in the school's application. The individual pupil form requires particulars of the child's name, address, age, category of disability under Circular 8/2002 and the nature and level of the supports being sought in respect of the child. The summary application form requires particulars of the overall number of pupils in respect of whom support is sought, the total supports being sought in respect of those pupils and the total resources already sanctioned at the school to address special needs. Where an application seeks the allocation of resources on a shared basis with other schools, particulars of those schools is sought.
The summary application form contains a declaration by the school principal confirming that the application has been discussed with the parents or guardians of the children and that their consent has been obtained to apply for the support being sought; that the application is supported by the chairperson of the school's board of management; that in making the application, full regard has been given to any support services already allocated to the school; that the application is based on relevant assessment reports presented in respect of the pupils in question and available for inspection by the Department; and that where a shared post arrangement is proposed, the authorities of the other participating schools are in agreement with the proposal.
The main deficiencies identified in the NEPS review related to situations where the level of support sought in respect of individual pupils in a particular disability category did not conform to the support levels identified in the circulars as applicable to the disability category in question and situations where the relevant assessment reports required to support the application were not available at the school for inspection by NEPS. Deficiencies were identified in 642 cases. Where possible in such cases, NEPS made a recommendation as to the nature and level of the resources which should be provided and such resources have been sanctioned. However, in some cases, e.g. where the school was unable to produce the relevant assessment report, no recommendation for resources could be made.
