The Deputy will be aware of this Government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that all children with special educational needs can have access to an education appropriate to their needs. The policy of my Department is to secure the maximum possible level of inclusion of students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, or where a special school or special class placement may be required to ensure such placements are provided for.
The provisions which are made by my Department to ensure that as many children with special educational needs as possible can complete Post Primary school education, include the provision of additional resource/learning support in post primary schools, the provision of special classes in mainstream schools, Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support for children who have care needs, and the provision of assistive technology supports where required. I wish to advise the Deputy that the 1998 Education Act requires Boards of Management of each school to publish the policy of the school relating to participation by students with special educational needs. The measures schools take in this regard are required to be stated in the school plan. It is the duty of the Board of Management to ensure that appropriate education services are made available to such students.
Schools at both primary and second level use strategies such as curriculum differentiation, curriculum enrichment and acceleration to facilitate the development of pupils with special needs. Syllabi and curricula for second-level schools have also been designed in such a way to enable teachers to cater for the wide range of pupil ability.
The Special Education Support Service (SESS) is a service under the management of my Department which also supports schools and provides additional training for them in supporting students with special educational needs. I also wish to advise the Deputy that a variety of options are in place for young persons, including those with special education needs, to continue with educational provision after the age of 18.
My Department provides funding to Vocational Education Committees (VECs) nationwide for a range of part-time and full-time accredited and non-accredited further and adult education programmes which are open to all learners, including those with special educational needs. The Adult Literacy Programme provides basic education including reading, writing and numeracy skills, and ICT for adults who wish to improve their literacy and numeracy competencies to enhance their functional participation in personal, social and economic life. The Community Education programme provides education and learning, generally outside the formal education sector, with the aims of enhancing learning, empowerment and contributing to civic society.
Funding is also provided to VECs to support local community-based education groups outside the formal education sector and is usually allocated through the provision of teaching hours, or small grants, to a range of community and voluntary groups for educational activities. The Disability Access Route to Education (DARE) scheme also provides a third level admissions scheme for school leavers who have a disability or specific learning difficulty. Students who are considered to be DARE eligible may secure a college place on a reduced points basis. Details of the DARE scheme are available at www. accesscollege.ie. Additional supports for young adults with special educational needs are also provided by Disability Officers in third level colleges.
