Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire
Question:96. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the number of special education teachers currently employed in primary, secondary and in special schools. [26574/22]
View answerWednesday, 25 May 2022
Questions (96)
Written answers
The level of Special Education resources provided to schools to support students with special education needs (SEN) is at unprecedented levels.
Special Education Teachers (SETs)
Budget 2022 provides for an additional 620 new SET posts in special education. This new investment is required to meet the needs of students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes; students to be enrolled in new special classes and new special school places and the needs of new and developing schools.
This will bring the total number of SET in the mainstream school system to 14,385 in 2022
Provision for 14,385 SET’s as at 31 st December 2022 will represent an increase of 48% since 2011 at which time 10,575 were provided.
The number of special education teachers working in primary and post primary schools at 31st March 2022 is as follows.
|
School type |
Posts |
|
Primary |
4,409 |
|
Post Primary |
9,340 |
|
Total |
13,749 |
Special Class Teachers
Special Classes to support children with special educational needs.
Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased from 548 to 2,118 for the 2021/2022 school year.
There are now 1,854 special classes for children with Autism in place: 133 Early Intervention, 1,205 primary and 516 post primary autism special classes.
Budget 2022 provided for the creation of 287 additional special classes for the 2022/2023 school year. These additional classes will provide over 1,700 new places in 2022.
There are currently 2,457 teachers in Special Classes for the 2021/22 school year.
|
End Year |
Total |
|
|
2018 |
2018/19 |
1643 |
|
2019 |
2019/20 |
1863 |
|
2020 |
2020/21 |
2099 |
|
2021 |
2021/22 |
2457 |
Special Schools Teachers
126 special schools currently providing specialist education for children with special educational needs.
Two new special schools in Cork and Dublin opened for the 2021/22 school-year.
Budget 2022 provided for an additional 23 teaching posts and 46 SNA posts in special schools which will create an additional 140 class places.
This will provide specialist education to over 8,000 pupils in 2022.
There are currently 1,507 teachers in Special Schools for the 2021/22 school year.
Special Schools Teachers.
|
End Year |
Total |
|
|
2018 |
2018/19 |
1397 |
|
2019 |
2019/20 |
1442 |
|
2020 |
2020/21 |
1489 |
|
2021 |
2021/22 |
1507 (current figure) |