Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 February 2024
123. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Education the steps she will take to ensure that enough places in special reading schools for children with severe dyslexia are available for all children who need it, and not only those in the first percentile for reading as is currently the case; when adequate places will be provided (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6381/24]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the questions and would like to advise the following:
It is Department policy, in accordance with the principles of inclusive education, that, to the greatest extent possible, pupils with additional learning needs are supported in mainstream classes along with their peers, with additional supports provided as necessary.
In addition, the Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs, including pupils with a SLD, to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education. A continuum of education provision is in place covering the full range of need spanning placement in mainstream classes with supports through to more specialist placements either in a special class or a special school depending on the level of complexity of need.
My Department has invested considerably in ensuring that all recognised mainstream schools have been allocated additional special education teaching resources to cater for children with special educational needs, including pupils with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). By the end of the current year, there will be more than 15,000 such teachers working alongside their colleagues in mainstream classes. Guidelines for schools on the organisation, deployment and use of their special education teachers have been published on the Department’s website, at gov.ie - Guidelines for Primary Schools Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools (www.gov.ie).
It is a matter for schools to monitor and utilise their allocation of additional teaching support to best support the needs of identified pupils, in accordance with the Department's guidance. In addition, there are specialist educational supports provided by NEPS and the NCSE to help schools provide an appropriate education for pupils with special educational needs including those reading difficulties.
Funding is made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers and/or software to assist children with special educational needs, including children with SLDs, where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools apply to the NCSE, through their local SENO for such support.
It is important to note though, that the majority of students with significant literacy difficulties currently are found in mainstream classes, and. In addition to the support received from their class teachers, they receive additional teaching support from a special education teacher either in their class or in a separate setting in the school.. This is provided on the basis of the individual pupil’s learning needs, identified in schools, as opposed to being based on a requirement for a child to have a diagnosis, or an assessment, of a particular disability.
There are four special schools and thirteen special classes for children with acute reading difficulties, located across the country. Entry to these classes is determined locally using published entry criteria. The Department currently has no plans to open additional special classes or special schools for children with acute reading difficulties.
