Tony Gregory
Question:679 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will give details of all special assistance, resources and tuition available through his Department for children with dyslexia. [21049/03]
Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.
Children with dyslexia are generally catered for on an integrated basis in ordinary primary schools where they can be supported by the learning support teacher service or the resource teacher service. At present there are 1,531 learning support teachers and in excess of 2,300 resource teachers and in the primary system.
Where the condition is of a more serious nature, provision can be made in one of the four special schools or 23 special classes attached to ordinary primary schools and dedicated to the needs of children with dyslexia. Decisions on placements are based on the professionally assessed needs of the individual child and parental wishes in relation to their children. All special schools and special classes dedicated to children with dyslexia operate at a reduced pupil teacher ratio of 9:1 and pupils attending such facilities attract a special increased rate of capitation funding.
My Department also provides funding to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers to assist children with special needs with their education, including children with dyslexia. Grant aid is also provided to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland to support its work with persons with dyslexia.
The report of the task force on dyslexia contains more than 60 individual recommendations ranging across a wide variety of issues from identification and assessment, to models of service delivery, specialist training for service providers, to issues relating to structural reforms. Since the task force reported, a number of initiatives have been taken in the area of dyslexia. These include the introduction of the first on-line training course for teachers catering for pupils with dyslexia; the appointment of ten new learning support trainers to the primary curriculum support programme specifically to provide in-depth support for the implementation of learning support guidelines for children with dyslexia; and a reduction from 11:1 to 9:1 in the pupil teacher ratio applicable to special classes catering for children with dyslexia.
In addition to the above measures, a key focus of my Department has been on advancing the fundamental structural and legislative measures, which are necessary to underpin the development and delivery of services for persons with special needs, including children with dyslexia. A key development on the structural front has been the Government's decision to approve the establishment of the national council for special education. The national council, which will have a local area presence, will play a key role in the development and delivery of services for persons with special needs, including children with dyslexia. It will have a research and advisory role and will establish expert groups to consider specific areas of special needs provision. It will also establish a consultative forum to facilitate inputs from the education partners and other interested parties.
Arrangements for the establishment of the council are now well advanced. A chief executive officer designate has been appointed, the Oireachtas has approved an order establishing the council and the recruitment of council staff is in hands.
I have also published the Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill 2003, aimed at establishing the rights and entitlements of persons with special needs, including those with dyslexia, to an appropriate education service and providing the necessary framework for effective service delivery. My objective is to secure the passage of this legislation through the Oireachtas at the earliest possible date.
Question No. 680 answered with Question No. 454.