Charlie McConalogue
Question:580. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills if special schools have access to home-school liaison officers and, if not, the reason why. [46245/15]
View answerThursday, 17 December 2015
Questions (580)
Written answers
The role of the HSCL is set out in my Department's circular 0056/2013. This is available on my Department's website at http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0058_2013.pdf.
Special schools are intended to cater for children with special educational needs from 4 to 18 years of age. All special schools receive enhanced pupil teacher ratios ranging from 6:1, to 12:1, depending on the disability categorisation of pupils attending. These enhanced ratios are provided because pupils attending special schools have significant special educational needs. Special schools also receive very high levels of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) staffing support. My Department also provides enhanced levels of capitation in Special schools as well as specialist School Transport arrangements for pupils with disabilities, additional teacher training for teachers of children with special educational needs and funding for the purchase of specialised equipment, where required.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for the provision of a range of educational services at local and national level for students with special educational needs. This responsibility includes planning and co-ordinating the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs. Each SENO works in an assigned local area with parents, schools, teachers, psychologists, health professionals and other staff who are involved in the provision of services in that area for children with special educational needs. Schools and parents may contact their local SENO using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.
The Deputy will be aware that a process for the review of the DEIS Programme is currently underway in my Department. This process is being undertaken over the course of the current school year and will consider all issues pertaining to educational disadvantage in order to inform future policy direction in this important area. While this process is underway, I do not intend to make any changes to the current Programme.