Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2016
202. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide additional resources to cater for the needs of exceptionally able children in primary and secondary schools; his plans to implement the suggestions as detailed in a leaflet (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31551/16]
View answerThe Government is committed to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including children who are exceptionally able, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes, which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions delivered by fully-qualified professional teachers with the support of special needs assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.
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, including students who are exceptionally able. 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 post primary level use strategies such as curriculum differentiation, curriculum enrichment and acceleration to facilitate the development of pupils who are exceptionally able.
The revised primary curriculum recognises the importance of developing the full potential of the child and caters for pupil diversity, including meeting the needs of exceptionally able pupils. Syllabi and curricula for second-level schools have been designed in such a way to enable teachers cater for the wide range of pupil ability.
Content is outlined in the curricula at both levels and process is also heavily emphasised. Enabling children to learn how to learn is stressed and facilitated. The development of language skills, investigatory and problem-solving skills, higher-order thinking skills and working individually, and as a member of a group, are all encouraged at both levels.
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), in collaboration with its counterparts in Northern Ireland, the Council for Curriculum Examination and Assessment (CCEA), produced guidelines entitled "Exceptionally Able Students – Guidelines for Teachers" which issued to all Primary and Post Primary schools in November 2007 along with a questionnaire for feedback.
The NCCA/CCEA guidelines are designed to raise awareness of the social, emotional and academic needs of exceptionally able students and to assist teachers in planning their teaching and learning. The guidelines provide advice to schools on identification of gifted children, set out profiles of students, and whole school and classroom strategies and case studies which demonstrate how schools can best meet the needs of such students. The general strategies include differentiated teaching, acceleration and enrichment approaches in the context of participation in mainstream schools.
Whole School Evaluations (WSEs) are carried out in primary and post-primary schools. During these inspections, the quality of the school management and leadership, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, and the school's own planning and self-review is evaluated, including special education provision. The way in which schools are inspected during WSE varies somewhat with slightly different processes in primary and post-primary schools. Sometimes the inspection has a subject or curriculum focus and at other times, concentration is on a range of different lessons across a wide range of subjects. Oral feedback is provided to the school community at the end of these inspections and a printed report which is published on my Department's website is also provided.
The Special Education Support Service (SESS), under the management of my Department, provides support for teachers to assist them in meeting the needs of all pupils with special educational needs, including those pupils who are exceptionally able. The service is available to schools who may be seeking advice or support relating to a specific special education issue in the school. More information on the range of programmes offered by the SESS is available on www.sess.ie.
In addition, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), also under the management of my Department, provides training in differentiation, in terms of differentiating for all pupils, whether less able/more able. Issues around exceptional ability and giftedness are addressed as part of the school planning process which is facilitated by the PDST.
I welcome the suggestions contained in the leaflet from the Group to which the Deputy refers relating to gifted and exceptionally able children, the majority of which are being implemented as outlined above.
