Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 December 2014
172. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if extra special needs teaching hours may be facilitated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46662/14]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that all schools receive an allocation of additional teaching resources to support children who have mild general learning difficulties or learning support needs under the General Allocation Model in primary schools, or through Learning Support and Resource Teaching allocations at post primary schools. Schools are given guidance on how to identify pupils for learning support in my Departments Circulars 02/05 and 70/2014. In addition, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates additional resource teaching hours to schools for children who have been assessed within the low incidence, or more complex, category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department. It is a matter for schools to then monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with my Department's guidance. The teaching time afforded to each individual pupil is decided and managed by schools, taking into account each child's individual learning needs. Schools have capacity to allocate resource teaching or learning support hours to pupils who have additional learning needs arising from medical conditions, from within their General Allocation Model hours. A parent who feels that their child requires additional learning support in school should raise this matter directly with their school Principal in the first instance, or with the Board of Management of the school.
