Written Answers. - Special Educational Needs.
Richard Bruton
Ceist:
318
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
the persons whom parents of children with special education needs may contact to draw down their entitlement under the new guarantee announced by him on 5 November 1998; and if the Department of Finance has approved this as a demand lead scheme from an Estimates point of view.
[23252/98]
Richard Bruton
Ceist:
319
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
the number of teachers in special schools and in special classes, the number of resource teachers and child care assistants employed currently in dealing with special education needs; the projected number in 12 months time under the programme announced by him on 5 November 1998; and the projected cost of these services in 1999 and in 2000 compared to that in 1998.
[23253/98]
Richard Bruton
Ceist:
320
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
whether the projected 65 extra teacher and 200 extra child care assistants are new recruits or redeployed in consequence of the demographic dividend.
[23254/98]
Richard Bruton
Ceist:
322
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
the number of hours of special tuition and of child care which a child assessed as having special needs could expect to receive where the need was assessed as low, medium or high.
[23256/98]
Richard Bruton
Ceist:
323
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Education and Science
if he will classify the 18,000 children who are reported to have special needs in the primary education system indicating the number whose service in terms of teacher support and child care support has met the standards recommended in the special education review committee among those in special schools or special classes among those in ordinary classes.
[23257/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 to 320, inclusive, 322 and 323 together.
Persons seeking provision for special needs children arising from the announcement in question, should make application to the special education section of my Department, which is based in Athlone.
The Minister for Finance is fully supportive of the measures in question and of the fact that the support referred to will be available to all children who have been assessed as requiring such support. The introduction of this new demand-led scheme has been approved by Government.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of teachers in special schools and in special classes is not readily available. I have asked my officials to compile this information and I will arrange for it to be forwarded to the Deputy.
At present, there are 104 resource teachers and 295 child care assistants dealing with children with special needs. It is estimated that the equivalent of a further 90 to 100 resource teacher posts and 250 to 270 child care posts will be in place by this time next year. The cost of these allocations in 1999 is estimated at approximately £4 million. The costs in subsequent years will be determined by the level of demand.
Allocations arising from the announcement in question will not, as they are automatic entitlements, form part of the demographic dividend. The precise number of tuition or child care hours allocated in any particular case will depend on the specific assessed needs of the individual child.
The figure of 18,000 children mentioned by the Deputy is comprised of approximately 8,000 children in integrated settings and 10,000 children in special schools or special classes. Pupils attending special schools and special classes enjoy the pupil teacher ratios recommended by the special education review committee in the case of eight of the 12 clinical groups identified by the committee. Progress in reducing the pupil teacher ratios for the remaining groups will continue in line with available resources.
As far as child care support for these children is concerned, I fully recognised in the course of my announcement that many of these children were not receiving the support they require. Some children attending schools on a fully integrated basis, benefit from the support of the remedial, resource and visiting teacher services. However, as I indicated in the course of my announcement, many such children currently receive no support, either by way of tuition or child care assistance. This is particularly the case in relation to individual or small groups of special needs children.
The purpose of the measures which I have announced is to ensure that all children, whether in special schools, special classes or in integrated settings, will have access to the level of teacher and child care support which their assessed need require. The Deputy will appreciate that this initiative has been widely welcomed as a break-through by groups concerned with the education of children with special needs, indeed, a break-through which should have come many years ago.
