Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 September 2023
361. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Education the circumstances in which a detailed assessment is required before a child can obtain support in a special class or a special school; the number of cases where this is creating a delay in appropriate placement; and if there are steps under consideration to overcome this. [40357/23]
View answerI 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. A diagnosis or professional report is not required to access supports in mainstream such as Special Education Teaching supports or Special Needs Assistant support. 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 with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 SNAs.
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.
The NCSE has the responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs.
It is the department’s policy that all children with special educational needs should access an education, where appropriate, in mainstream classrooms together with their peers. It is the case that most students with special educational needs are educated in this setting, an approach consistent with the Education of Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act (2004).
It should be noted that supports within a mainstream setting such as special educational teachers are distributed based on a profile of need and not on a diagnosis. This principle ensures that those students with the greatest level of need receive the most support with no unnecessary delay.
My department recognises that for a small cohort of children and young people who experience significant education and holistic needs, access or participation in mainstream education may present a significant challenge to the extent that mainstream placements becomes a barrier to their participation.
My department has provided for a continuum of placement options outside of the mainstream supports which include enrolment in a special class or special school.
Special classes and school places are available in cases where parents/professionals consider that mainstream education is not the most appropriate option for the student.
The NCSE advise that in order to access a special class a student must have a report from a relevant professional or team of professionals (for example, psychologist, speech and language therapist, psychiatrist) stating that:
1. The student has a disability (in line with the designation of the special class in question) and
2. The student has complex or severe learning needs that require the support of a special class setting and the reasons why this is the case.
The professional report must meet the Department of Education's requirements for the particular special educational need in question.
Special schools support students with more severe and/or complex special educational needs in cases where a full-time mainstream or special class placement would not be in the student’s best interest. These students may find the demands of mainstream schools very difficult.
In order to be placed in a special school a child must have a professional report stating that they have a special educational need and that this need is of such complexity that a special school placement could be considered.
My department is currently reviewing special class placements guidelines for schools to ensure that the provision of placement options is working as effectively as possible for children with special educational needs and that the resources are allocated appropriately to allow over time for a move from a diagnosis based system to a needs based systems.
My department and the NCSE are committed to ensuring every child is allocated a suitable school placement appropriate to their need. 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. Local special educational needs organisers (SENOs) remain available to assist and advise the parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list
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.
