Special Educational Needs.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2004

Wednesday, 5 May 2004

Questions (107, 108)

Joan Burton

Question:

102 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will make a statement in relation to the application of a person (details supplied) with Down’s syndrome who is hoping to attend St. Francis Xavier junior national school from September 2004 provided that the school is supplied with adequate special needs teaching and support assistance; if he will make a statement as to whether he has received an application from the school in respect of the applicant; and if he will state if the appropriate special needs teaching resource and assistance will be provided to allow this child to attend the national school of their parents choice. [12827/04]

Written answers

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

I confirm that my Department has received an application for special educational resources, SER, for the pupil referred to by the Deputy. SER applications received between 15 February and 31 August 2003 are being considered currently. In all, more than 5,000 such applications were received. Priority was given to cases involving children starting school last September and all these cases were responded to at or before the commencement of the current school year. The balance of more than 4,000 applications has been reviewed by a dedicated team comprising members of my Department's inspectorate and the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS. These applications are being further considered in the context of the outcome of surveys of SER provision conducted over the past year and the data submitted by schools as part of a nationwide census of SER provision.

The processing of the applications is a complex and time-consuming operation. However, my Department is endeavouring to have this completed as quickly as possible and my officials will then respond to all applicant schools. Pending a response, schools are advised to refer to circular 24/03 which issued in September 2003. This circular contains practical advice on how to achieve the most effective deployment of resources already allocated for special educational needs within the school. In the case of teacher resources, the outcome for each applicant school will be based on a new weighted system of allocation which I announced recently. This system, as part of which an additional 350 teaching posts will be allocated, will involve two main elements. These are making a staffing allocation to schools based on a predicted incidence of pupils with special educational needs and making individual allocations in the case of children with more acute lower-prevalence special educational needs.

It is expected that the change to a weighted system will bring with it a number of benefits. The new system will reduce the need for individualised educational psychological assessment, reduce the volume of applications to my Department for additional resources for individual pupils and provide greater flexibility to schools, which will facilitate the development and implementation of improved systems and procedures in schools to meet the needs of pupils with low achievement and pupils with special educational needs. The detailed arrangements for processing applications for resources, including those for special needs assistants and those received after 31 August last, will be set out in a circular to be issued to schools before the end of the current school year. It is intended also that schools due to receive the additional posts will be notified within this timeframe.

Paul Connaughton

Question:

103 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the deplorable state of affairs concerning children with special needs at schools (details supplied); if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that under the new review for special educational needs that any child unfortunate enough to have been assessed in the past 18 months or to have their sanction withdrawn or reviewed that such pupils are now caught in a state of educational limbo; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that vital years are being lost to those children; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that some children are now old enough to leave the primary school system without their right to extra help having been fulfilled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12828/04]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. N. Dempsey)

My Department is reviewing existing arrangements for the allocation of special educational supports to primary schools. In that context, my officials have been involved in ongoing discussions on a weighted system of allocation with representative interests. At this stage it would be premature to anticipate the outcome for the schools in question. I can confirm, however, that the basic purpose of that review is to ensure that each school has the level of resources required to cater for its pupils with special educational needs.

The processing of applications for special needs supports is a complex and time-consuming operation. However, my Department is endeavouring to have this completed as quickly as possible and my officials will then respond to all applicant schools. Pending a response, schools are advised to refer to circular 24/03 which issued in September 2003. This circular contains practical advice on how to achieve the most effective deployment of resources already allocated for special educational needs within the school. In the case of teacher resources, the outcome for each applicant school will be based on a new weighted system of allocation which I announced recently. This system, as part of which an additional 350 teaching posts will be allocated, will involve two main elements. These are making a staffing allocation to schools based on a predicted incidence of pupils with special educational needs and making individual allocations in the case of children with more acute lower-prevalence special educational needs.

It is expected that the change to a weighted system will bring with it a number of benefits. The new system will reduce the need for individualised educational psychological assessment, reduce the volume of applications to my Department for additional resources for individual pupils and provide greater flexibility to schools, which will facilitate the development and implementation of improved systems and procedures in schools to meet the needs of pupils with low achievement and pupils with special educational needs. The detailed arrangements for processing applications for resources, including those for special needs assistants and those received after 31 August last, will be set out in a circular to be issued to schools before the end of the current school year. Schools due to receive the additional posts will be notified within this timeframe also.