Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 November 2014
873. Deputy Anthony Lawlor asked the Minister for Education and Skills if there is a correlation between the STen results of a school and the level of resources provided by her Department; if schools with higher STen results receive less resource funding; the way schools are being incentivised to increase their STen results; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41347/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that Resource Teaching and Learning Support resources are currently allocated to schools in accordance with the criteria outlined in my Department's Circulars 07/2014 and 02/05. The current allocation system does not presently take into account standardised test results, or Sten results, of schools, in allocating resources to schools to support children with special educational needs. I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) published a Report on a Proposed New Model for Allocating Teachers for Students with Special Educational Needs on 18th June 2014. The NCSE, consulted widely with education partners, representatives of the disability sector, stakeholders and parent representative groups, during the course of the development of this policy advice. The report recommends that a new allocation model should be developed, based on a schools educational profile, while providing a baseline allocation to every mainstream school to support inclusion. The report recommends that in developing educational profile of a school that account would be taken of: The number of students with complex special educational needs in a school; Percentages of students performing below a certain threshold on standardised test results; Social context of school which includes gender, primary school location and educational disadvantage. My Department is currently collecting information which will be required to develop the proposed new model. Following consideration of this data, my Department will also consider whether, and from what date a new model might be implemented. I also wish to advise the Deputy that following publication of the working group report, my Department invited education partners, stakeholders, and parent representative groups to make written submissions in relation to the NCSE report. 27 written submissions have been received to date, from interested parties. My Department also held a number of consultation meetings on 1st and 3rd October last with stakeholders, education partners, and parent representative groups. Consultation has been a key feature of the development of this policy advice to date and I can confirm that consultation will continue to take place at each stage of the development of proposals for any new model.
