Vol. 571 No. 3
8 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the way in which he intends to ensure that all teachers working in the special needs area are sufficiently qualified to enable them to carry out their work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21559/03]
It is my policy that all teachers working with children with special educational needs will have relevant training and continuing professional development. In this regard, the existing full-time pre-service primary teacher training courses in the colleges of education contain appropriate elements to assist the student teachers in recognising and dealing with children with special educational needs.
At second level, there are inputs into both the higher diploma in education and the education degree programmes in the University of Limerick, as part of a general alertness orientation programme, on the variety of learning difficulties pupils may have.
There has been a major increase in recent years in the level of additional teaching resources made available by my Department to schools to assist them in catering for children with special educational needs. My Department has developed a strategy designed to meet the continuing professional development needs of teachers working with these children. Specifically, it involves a major expansion of the range of postgraduate professional training programmes; the introduction of a range of new training programmes to provide a mix of intensive induction training and more advanced training in specific areas; and the establishment of a new special education support service. This service will consolidate and co-ordinate existing inservice provision at local level for personnel working with children with special educational needs. It will explore various models of inservice and support for teachers in the classroom and will also work co-operatively with col leges of education and other agencies to maximise the effects of training and support across the spectrum.
Does the Minster agree that these services must be provided at an earlier stage in the career of a teacher? Does he also agree that specific modules should be available at primary and higher diploma training levels to ensure that teachers have the necessary skills? This point was made in the presentation to us today on the Education for Persons with Disability Bill.
Does the Minister have concerns that there is no extra training for teachers who work as special needs teachers as distinct from in mainstream classes? They must prepare education plans and so on for these students and in view of this, does he not consider that they should be provided with greater and more specific training?
I agree with the Deputy that the more of this education and training that is available, the better. We have some catching up to do following the Government's decision in 1998 on an automatic response to special needs. There was not much in place at that time.
In the current year, five institutions are running postgraduate courses in special needs education. These are Saint Patrick's College, the Church of Ireland training college located in Rathmines, Saint Angela's College in Sligo, UCD and Mary Immaculate College. A total of 160 places are provided. A postgraduate professional programme in autism is provided in Saint Patrick's Training College in association with the University of Birmingham. Thus far, 75 teachers have participated in it. Some 25 places are allocated to each course. There is a nationwide postgraduate programme in learning support in six colleges-universities. These include Saint Patrick's College, the Church of Ireland training college, St. Angela's College, Mary Immaculate College and NUI, Galway and Cork. There are 25 places per college, with a total of 150 places overall.
The second element of the strategy is the induction introduction programmes for resource teachers, which are provided at Saint Patrick's College, the Church of Ireland training college, Saint Angela's College and Mary Immaculate College. Two to three induction courses are available for teachers who are working with children with severe and profound learning disabilities. Deputy Enright is concerned with making these courses available on a more mainstream basis within teacher training. I support that and we are in consultation with the colleges. It is an optional module, but there is perhaps a need for it to be more mainstream at this stage.
Does the Minister agree that disability issues are widespread, covering people with hearing and visual difficulties and so on? Does he have any plans to increase disability awareness among the general teaching profession in all schools by perhaps bringing forward disability awareness training programmes for all teachers to ensure they are conscious of the needs of people with disabilities? Will he outline the format of the autism programme to which he referred? Does it include TEACH, ABA and so on and is the Minister satisfied that if only one programme is followed others will not be excluded?
I do not have details of the specifics of the course to which the Deputy referred, but I understand it covers autism generally and the possible responses to it. I am not completely sure, but I understand it is not based on ABA or TEACH specifically but is more general in its treatment of autism.
On the question of a course for all teachers, we have established the education support service. Part of its brief is to manage and co-ordinate the management of inservice in the areas of special education, to liaise with all the relevant bodies and to give support to the schools and so on. The headquarters for the service are in Laois Education Centre. Many services delivered by education centres are conscious of the needs of teachers. I have no doubt that the kind of service referred to by the Deputy is, and will be, made available by education centres throughout the country. However, at present there is no formal course for all teachers.
Does the Minister agree that all class teachers require some training at this stage, especially in view of the document, Circular SP ED 24/03, we discussed earlier? Its appendix outlines a staged approach to special educational needs. The first stage requires the class teacher to administer screening measures and to then draw up a short simple plan for extra help within the normal classroom setting where there is a problem with the child. A variety of special needs are listed. Does the Minister agree that under the proposed changes he has circularised to the national schools, it will be a requirement of ordinary class teachers to have a significant level of expertise in this area?
I agree with Deputy O'Sullivan and Deputy Stanton. The more teachers who have training, or at least an increased awareness, in this area the better. Over the past years a considerable number of inservice courses have been provided by the Department and undertaken by a number of teachers. I pay tribute to those who have participated in them. A range of shorter courses were available to teachers in the special needs area which would serve the purpose referred to by the Deputies. They are delivered through the education centres, especially for primary teachers, through the summer months.
Four e-learning courses for teachers were provided on a pilot basis during July and August this year which dealt with the areas of autism, dyslexia, inclusion and ADHD. They were delivered on-line and more than 900 teachers availed of them. I accept that there is a need for this and it is fair to say that teachers also accept this. They are trying to participate in such courses and we are trying to provide them. The special education support service will co-ordinate much of the activities in this area from here on and I have no doubt that the new council for special education needs will go into this aspect in detail. Part of its brief will be to ensure that with regard to the special needs of people in this area, there is sufficient training, induction, awareness raising and so on.
