Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2023
312. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education the reason a school (details supplied) in Donegal had to wait over a year to have an appeal of special education teaching allocation decided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32593/23]
View answer313. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education the reasons the NCSE review panel refused an appeal of special education teaching allocation despite two NCSE reviewers recommending an increased allocation for a school in Donegal (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32594/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 312 and 313 together.
I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. It is also a key priority for me as Minister for Special Education & Inclusion, for my department and for the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers. Where children with more complex needs require additional supports, special classes and special school places are provided.
For 2023, the spend by my department on special education will be substantially increased by over 10% on last year, meaning that for 2023 my department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.
This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the department’s total allocation for 2023.
This includes funding to support children with special educational needs in mainstream classes; funding for new special classes and new special school places; additional special educational teachers (SETs), special needs assistants (SNAs) and funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS).
In 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs in our schools next year.
For the first time ever we will have over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 SNAs. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SETs and reviews.
The SET allocation provides a single unified allocation for special educational support teaching needs to each school, based on each school’s educational profile. This model has replaced the previous model of allocating resource teaching support and learning support to schools based on a diagnosis of disability.
The SET allocation, allows schools to provide additional teaching support for all pupils who require such support in their schools and for schools to deploy resources based on each pupil’s individual learning needs.
The allocation gives greater flexibility to schools as to how they can deploy their resources, to take account of the actual learning needs pupils have, as opposed to being guided by a particular diagnosis of disability, and schools are guided as to how they should make such allocation decisions.
The school will take account of the learning needs of children as evidenced by performance in schools but also supported where relevant by information provided regarding the nature of a condition that a pupil may have.
A process is available where schools can seek a review of their SET allocation by the NCSE, including the utilisation of their allocations. Detailed information on the NCSE review process is published on the NCSE website www.ncse.ie/special-education-teachers.
My department does not have a role in making individual school determinations.
As the appeal of SET allocations is a matter for the NCSE, the question has been forwarded to the NCSE for direct reply to the deputy.
My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.
