Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 February 2024
184. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Education to respond to concerns raised by school (details supplied) in respect of the cut to SET resources in terms of the impact it will have on the overall ability of the school to provide appropriate special education to pupils in need; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9779/24]
View answerI would like to thank the Deputy for the question.
At the outset, I want to stress that enabling students with additional needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for this Government.
The special education teacher (SET) allocations provide additional teaching support for students with special educational needs enrolled in mainstream classes in primary and post primary schools.
Approximately 98% of all children, including those with special education needs, are educated in mainstream classes.
There has been an increase in the number of full-time SET posts across the country, increasing the overall availability of resources. This is the highest number of SET teachers ever in our schools.
There will be 14,600 SETs supporting mainstream classes in the 2024/25 school year, which is an increase of 1,000 since the end of the 2021 school year.
There has been a limited change to the method used to allocate Special Education Teachers to mainstream classes. The previous SET allocation model was in place since 2017. The Department commenced a review of the model in late 2022 to ensure that it was meeting the changing needs in special education. This review involved consulting with unions, management bodies, and schools to hear their views on the strengths and shortcomings of the allocation model and that feedback was incorporated into the revised model.
The allocations to schools issued on the 6th February 2024 arising from the review. The allocation model for 2024/25 distributes the total available number of SET posts in line with each school’s profile of need.
The model makes an allocation on the basis of a number of inputs, including enrolment numbers. Children with complex needs are supported in the model by now using school-level data from standardised tests in order to reflect relative levels of overall needed. The model also seeks to distribute teaching resources in the fairest possible manner, taking into account as much evidence as possible in respect of individual schools and evidence in respect of the best possible use of resources.
Of schools across the country, 67% of schools have either increased their allocation or retained their previous allocation. Of those schools whose allocation has been decreased, 70% of these schools have reduced their hours by 5 hours or less.
The SET allocation model is designed to distribute additional teaching resources across the entire school system. This is to ensure that additional teaching resources are available to support pupils with the greatest level of learning need. There is a defined level of resources available to distribute across the whole school system.
It is important to understand that Special Education Teacher resources are distributed to schools based on learning needs across the entire system. This round of allocation of Special Education Teacher resources to schools will see some schools gaining hours while others may see a reduction in hours.
The department, along with stakeholders, are cognisant that the model needs to continue to evolve so that the SET allocations process takes into account new or improved data sources and other changes within the school system.
A phased high level plan has been compiled to further enhance the model over the coming years.
The Department acknowledges that every school is different, and that schools can experience unique circumstances that may be difficult to reflect in any standardised method. This is always a challenge when making allocations in respect of 4,000 schools. It is for this reason that the Department, working with the NCSE has streamlined the review process for special education teachers and schools who have any concerns can engage with the NCSE on their allocation.
