Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 May 2021
500. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education if she will address concerns identified in a report by an organisation (details supplied) specifically the finding that 84% of teaching principals have considered resigning from their positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24387/21]
View answerMy Department is aware that the National Principals’ Forum has published a report on its Critical Analysis of Supports for Pupils with Additional Educational Needs and their School Leaders in Irish Primary Schools.
My Department will review the report in detail and will take account of its findings and consider the recommendations made in this report.
In the meantime, it should be noted that the number of special education teachers which have been allocated to mainstream schools has increased very significantly in recent years.
There are now over 13,600 Special Education Teachers allocated to mainstream primary and post primary schools.
This represents an increase of 40% in the total number of special education teachers allocated to schools since 2011, at which time 9740 teachers were allocated.
The number of special education teachers has increased by almost 9% since 2017 when the new allocation model was introduced.
Under the model for allocating special education teachers to schools, assessment, or diagnosis of a particular condition is no longer necessary for pupils to access educational teaching resources in schools, nor is there now a requirement for schools to submit assessments annually in order to apply for additional teaching resources.
Schools have flexibility to allocate additional teaching support to pupils where they have identified learning needs, using school based assessment of need.
In addition, Budget 2021 provided for an additional 990 additional Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) for allocation to schools, including mainstream and special schools, bringing the total numbers to 18,000 by the end of December 2021.
This allocation represents an increase of increase of 70% in the number of SNAs provided since 2011 at which point 10,575 SNAs were available.
My Department also recognises the extent of planning and co-ordination work which is carried out by schools and by school Principals.
It seeks to support this by providing for distributive leadership as set out in recent circulars, which incorporates a flexible structure in schools and allows for effective delegation of leadership roles across senior and middle leaders. The circulars allow for greater flexibility in the assignment and re-assignment of roles and responsibilities to Assistant Principals. This will afford school management greater flexibility to respond to the individual needs and priorities of their school.
