Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:658. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if she will engage with the NCSE regarding supports for a child (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38261/23]
View answerMonday, 11 September 2023
Questions (658)
Written answers
I would like to thank the Deputy for the question. I note that are a number of elements to the question relating to special education placements, home tuition support and access to support from Middletown Centre for Autism. Taking each issue in turn, I 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 has been 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, 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 by 686 and 1,194 respectively.
For the first time ever there will be 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.
Over the last two to three years, my department and the NCSE have introduced a number of strategic initiatives to plan for and provide sufficient special class and special school places.
These initiatives are bearing fruit with over 1,300 new special classes sanctioned over the last 4 years and seven new special schools established over recent years also.
My department has already begun engaging with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places for the 2024/25 school year. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.
As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.
In October of last year, my department wrote to all post-primary schools to advise them of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes. It is envisaged that all post-primary schools will be required to provide special classes over the next 3 to 5 years, with an approximate average of 4 special classes in each school.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact the NCSE locally so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes. The local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) remain available to assist and advise parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: www.ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.
Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at: www.ncse.ie/special-classes.
The NCSE is committed to ensuring that sufficient special education placements will be available for children for the coming school year 2023/24.
The NCSE has advised that the local SENO is aware of the student concerned and has been in contact with the child’s parents. The SENO and the NCSE will continue to plan and prepare an appropriate special educational placement for the child concerned for the 2024/25 school year.
In relation to home tuition support, the department's Home Tuition Grant Scheme provides funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for children who, for a number of specific reasons, are unable to attend school. By its nature, it is intended to be a short term intervention.
The scheme is governed by annual circulars which set out the details, purpose and eligibility criteria. Circular 0024/2023 provides information in relation to the 2023/24 Home Tuition Grant Scheme and can be accessed by clicking on the following link: www.gov.ie/en/circular/67f37-home-tuition-grant-scheme-20232024-special-education-component/.
The purpose of the Home Tuition Grant Scheme is to provide funding towards the provision of a compensatory educational service for:
Early educational intervention for children with autism who meet the scheme’s eligibility criteria
Students with special educational needs seeking an educational placement in a recognised school
Students, enrolled in schools, with a significant medical condition, or school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety, which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school
In exceptional cases the department will consider home tuition applications on behalf of students with diagnoses of school phobia and/or associated depression/anxiety which has caused, and is likely to continue to cause, major disruption to their attendance at school. This exception will only apply where a continued absence from school is required to facilitate appropriate medical or therapeutic intervention with a view to the reintegration of the student in their school.
In relation to applications in respect of students with diagnoses of a significant medical condition the principle that home tuition cannot be provided as an alternative to school applies.
Eligibility is assessed having regard to, although not limited to, the following criteria
• Conformation the student is currently enrolled in school.
• The student’s attendance levels during the previous school year.
• A relevant medical /relevant professional report -a separate report may be requested in some cases if required.
For students enrolled in schools with a significant medical condition grant aid based on a range of between 2 and 10 hours tuition may be approved with the allocation reflecting the level of attendance in the previous school year i.e. the 2022/23 school year, and whether the attendance was at primary or post-primary level. As a general guide, up to 5 hours may be granted to children at primary level while students at post-primary level may be granted between 2 and 7 hours, and students sitting their leaving certificate examinations may be granted between 2 and 10 hours.
Appeals in relation to decisions under the Home Tuition Grant Scheme may be submitted in writing to the below address, quoting the home tuition reference number, and outlining the reasons for the appeal along with additional documents or reports, as appropriate.
Home Tuition Unit, Special Education Section, Department of Education, Cornamaddy, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, N37 X659
Email Address: special_education@education.gov.ie
Regarding home tuition for children with autism receiving more hours, I understand that this may refer to 20 hours home tuition being provided to children with special educational needs who are aged 4 years where a school placement is not available as confirmed by the NCSE, through the local SENO.
As the child in this case is enrolled in a school and are not seeking a school placement they are not eligible for this strand of the scheme.
The Middletown Centre for Autism (MCA) project is a jointly funded initiative between the Department of Education in Northern Ireland and the Department of Education aimed at supporting the promotion of excellence in the development and harmonisation of education and allied services to children and young people with autism.
At the request of the department, and, as approved by the North South Ministerial Council, MCA commenced provision, on a limited basis in the Republic of Ireland of an intensive educational assessment and learning support service to children and young people on an outreach basis (MCA pilot). This is a second-tier service which complements existing provision for children and young people with autism. Therefore, where autistic children and young people experience significant difficulties, the first course of action is engagement with first tier services provided by the Department of Education, (including NEPS), the NCSE, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and HSE funded services.
The MCA pilot is a second-tier service and currently works with a minimum of 12 referrals per year. The nomination and referral process is initiated by parents and professionals at school level via the principal following a multidisciplinary school based review involving the NEPS, the local SENO and other relevant professionals. Nominations cannot be made directly to the MCA, the Department of Education or the NCSE.
Nominations for MCA referral are only considered for children and young people where such a review concludes despite comprehensive autism specific support and consistent engagement from school and home with first-tier services, the child or young person continues to present with significant and enduring behavioural and emotional concerns which impact their engagement and participation in education. MCA’s Learning Support & Assessment team builds on the work of first tier services and works alongside them to ensure their involvement in the process. They aim to create a strong base for building family and professional capacity to support the child when the referral concludes (normally after 10 months).
The centre provides a comprehensive nationwide training service for parents and educational professionals. Parents can view the range of courses which the centre has available through the website www.middletownautism.com. The centre’s professional training programme will provide 7,000 differentiated training opportunities for professionals in Ireland. This will include training required by the NCSE and training required to support the planned increase in new autism classes. The centre will also provide 7,000 training opportunities for parents in Ireland.
If a parent feels that a child is experiencing continuing difficulties they should request through their school a multidisciplinary school based review involving NEPS, the local SENO and other relevant professionals.