Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2004
156 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science if she has satisfied herself that primary school students assessed by educational psychologists who have had recommendations for special needs assistants made on their behalf can reach their full potential when her Department, without any examination of the students so assessed, can refuse to provide the recommended resource; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23905/04]
View answerA psychological report normally includes an account of the test data gained during the assessment and of information provided by school and family sources. It will conclude with a set of recommendations for the child's individual learning or behavioural management plan. If the psychologist believes that implementation of the individual plan will require additional resources, then a recommendation to that effect will be made. My Department has issued circular letters that specify the level of additional supports that can be made available to children in certain categories of disability. The accompanying guidelines also specify in detail the test results and criteria that render children eligible under each category for additional support.
As the national educational psychological service is not yet in a position to offer a service to all schools, many children with special educational needs are assessed by psychologists in the health sector or in private practice. Many of these psychologists recommend additional resources in line with the guidelines in my Department's circulars. However, a number do not do so, because they may genuinely believe that particular children should receive resources over and above what is specified by my Department. In the interests of equity, and pending any recommendations that may be made to me by the newly established National Council for Special Education, the eligibility criteria and permitted levels of resource must be maintained.
Since December 2002, my Department has reviewed all applications for additional resources in respect of special educational needs. The reviews have been carried out by professional officers of my Department, who checked the data supplied in all the available professional reports to see if they complied with the criteria in the relevant circular letters. In some cases, they found that the data did not so comply and accordingly informed my Department's special education section. Although the professional officers did not themselves see the children concerned, they based their recommendations entirely on the information supplied by the psychologists who had written the reports.
157 Mr. P. McGrath asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the suspected discrimination against disadvantaged girls in the recently published document on special needs resources in primary schools and the proposed allocations to boys schools, girls schools and mixed schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23906/04]
View answer164 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a lesser number of special needs teachers have been appointed to girls’ schools than to boys’ schools; her views on whether this presents an inequitable situation; if she intends to address the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23959/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 164 together.
The revised system for allocating teaching resources to mainstream national schools for special needs comprises two elements. The first element is a general weighted allocation for pupils requiring learning support and pupils with higher-incidence disabilities such as dyslexia, mild and borderline mild to general learning disability. The second element enables schools to apply for specific support for those pupils with lower-incidence disabilities and those applications are considered on their individual merits.
In the case of specific pupils with lower-incidence disabilities no differentiation is made on the basis of gender. The general weighted allocation method does discriminate positively in two important respects. First, it discriminates on a gender basis as there is a considerable body of evidence which shows that boys are more likely than girls to have learning delays and special educational needs. Data available to the Department from its census of special educational needs in primary schools supports this position as do successive literacy studies. Second, it recognises the connection between learning delay and special educational need on the one hand and socio-economic disadvantage on the other.
These considerations are reflected in the following weighted allocations. In the most disadvantaged schools, as per the urban dimension of Giving Children an Even Break, a teacher of pupils with special educational needs is allocated for every 80 pupils to cater for the subset of pupils with higher incidence special needs. In all-boys schools, the ratio is one teacher for every 140 pupils. In mixed schools, or all-girls schools with an enrolment of greater than 30% boys, the ratio is one for every 150 pupils. In all-girls schools, including schools with mixed junior classes but with 30% or less boys overall, the ratio is one for every 200 pupils. Any all-girls school which comes within the most disadvantaged category indicated above will attract the most favourable allocation.
The revised system has been developed in consultation with representative interests. It is a genuine effort to improve the special education resource allocation process. The differentiation under the general weighted allocation reflects the experience of needs both within this country and internationally. I will work for improvements in the provision of education services for children with special educational needs. I will also monitor the implementation of the new system to ensure its efficiency and effectiveness.
