Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 April 2024
35. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 443 of 20 March 2024, if correspondence will be reviewed (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16784/24]
View answerI would like to thank the deputy for question raised.
Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this government. The vast majority of children with special educational needs are supported to attend mainstream classes with their peers.
The Special Education Teaching (SET) allocation model for 2024/25 is based on information from all 4,000 schools in the country. The model distributes the total available number of SET posts in line with each school’s profile of need.
The model 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. Schools must adhere to the guidance on the use of SET hours and support all children with additional teaching needs using the continuum of support framework.
The revised model is providing an annual allocation of SET teaching hours, using the best possible available data sources and is ensuring that the right resource is available at the right time to meet the needs of children with special educational needs. Schools have autonomy to deploy those resources to meet the needs of their students. In this regard it is important to note that 67% of all schools saw their allocation increase or remain the same, whereas 33% saw a reduction in hours. Of those schools who saw a reduction in hours 90% was a result of falling enrolment.
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 teaching hours and schools who have any concerns can engage with the NCSE on their allocation.
Reviews are being conducted by the NCSE, between March and May, to better enable schools to plan for the following September. An internal NCSE review panel will consider the application ensuring that the school have clearly evidenced that the overall level of special education teaching allocation in this school does not have capacity to meet this additional identified need.
Additional resources will be provided to schools in cases where the NCSE have identified that this is required.
This review process has now commenced with reviews being considered on a weekly basis with first priority given to schools who are developing or rapidly developing. A total of 218 applications have been received from schools.
A weekly process for consideration of submitted reviews is in place between the department and the NCSE so that schools can be advised at the earliest opportunity.
It is important to note that SET hours are only one component of support for children in mainstream but the most important support is the mainstream class teacher. The pupil teacher ratio at primary level is now 23:1 which means there are more mainstream teachers than ever before in our educational system.
In relation to the specific school mentioned in the question I can confirm that department officials have contacted the NCSE and the NCSE has confirmed that the school has made a review application through their portal. The NCSE have further advised that they will be in contact with the school to progress the schools request for review shortly.
