Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 8 Feb 2000

Vol. 513 No. 6

Other Questions. - Special Educational Needs.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

60 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties many schools encounter when they accept pupils with special needs due to the lack of support from his Department; the precise entitlements in relation to teaching staff, classroom assistants, computers and other equipment; the steps, if any, he will take to ensure that greater attention is given by his Department to assisting these schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3314/00]

Dr. Woods

In November 1998 my predecessor announced a major initiative for integrated education for children with special needs. This initiative provided the first ever automatic supports for many children with disabilities. The measures involved are aimed at ensuring that all children with a special educational need, irrespective of their location or disability, will receive the support they require to participate fully in the education system.

The measures extend right across the entire spectrum of special needs and deliver extra teaching and child care services to special needs children, whether in groups or in individual isolated settings. The key measures in the initiative include: the introduction of a formalised system of special teaching support for all children attending school on a fully integrated basis who have been assessed as having special educational needs; the introduction of a formalised system of child care support for all children with special needs, including those in special schools, special classes and ordinary schools, who have been assessed as requiring such support.

The level of response in each case has regard to the number of children and the severity of the disabilities involved. Where a group of special needs children attend an ordinary school or adjacent schools, the support may take the form of full-time resource or child care posts, or both. Where individual or small groups of children are involved, the support may take the form of part-time teaching hours or part-time child care support, or both. The level of support has regard to the number of children and their particular assessed needs.

My Department provides grant-aid to schools for the purchase of educational aids, such as computers, for children with special needs. Since 1998 a special fund of £250,000 has been allocated annually to provide assistance to schools in catering for the information and communication technology needs of individual special needs pupils, including those who are fully integrated into ordinary classes.

Additional Information

My Department operates a scheme for the provision of grants for second-level schools towards the purchase of equipment for the use of pupils with certain disabilities or communication difficulties. The purpose of the scheme is to provide such pupils with equipment of direct educational benefit to them. Computer equipment and software are items that may be provided. Under the terms of the scheme the school authorities make an application in respect of an individual pupil. The equipment remains the property of the school.

I assure the Deputy of my commitment to ensuring that each child with special needs will receive the support he or she requires to fully participate in the educational system and reach his or her potential.

Ms Shortall

Does the Minister accept there is a difference between the theory, the aspirational nature, and what happens in practice? Certainly, there is not an automatic entitlement to supports in practice. Is the Minister aware that many schools have an intolerable burden placed on them due to the lack of supports available from his Department? For example, a school which has two or three children with Down's syndrome has had to fight a battle over the past four or five months to get support. Has the Department a clear position in relation to entitlement to child care assistants for each child in a separate class with special needs?

Dr. Woods

I know from contact with the people who cater for children with special needs that they are pleased with the Government's decision—

Ms Shortall

That is not true.

Dr. Woods

—and what it is doing and it is being developed fairly rapidly. The Government decided in October 1998 that all special needs children in the primary system should have an automatic entitlement to support services to meet their needs. Since this decision there has been a major growth in the demand for resource teachers and child care assistant support. We are responding to this demand on an ongoing basis. The impact of the Government's decision can be seen from the fact that the number of resource teachers in the primary system has grown from 104 to 309 in that period and the number of child care assistants has grown from 295 to 937. It is clear a great deal of progress is being made in this area and will continue to be made.

Mr. R. Bruton

Does the Minister recognise that one of the bottlenecks is the need for a statement or an assessment? Is he aware that some school principals have to pay privately £150 for an assessment of an individual child? Will he agree to accelerate this by committing to fast track assessments through the State services?

Dr. Woods

Certainly any shortfall in the assessment will have to be addressed.

Mr. R. Bruton

Will it be?

Dr. Woods

It is clear considerable progress is being made in the whole system. It is not possible to wave a wand overnight and change the whole system. Any of us who have been involved with these schools and children over the years know it cannot be done overnight. A great deal of progress has been made and that will continue until the supports needed are supplied.

Ms Shortall

We all accept that progress is being made, but will the Minister accept it is inaccurate to talk about automatic entitlements or supports? Certainly they are not automatic. Does the Minister believe that each class which has a special needs child should be entitled to a child care assistant? Does he accept that need should be met?

Mr. Naughten

Has the Minister plans to put the supports in place prior to the child's first day at school rather than have the parents fight for months after the child has commenced school?

Dr. Woods

The Government decision was that all special needs children in the primary system should have an automatic entitlement. That does not mean it is there immediately that decision is made, but that is the Government's purpose. The first part of my reply set out how the supports operate where there are small numbers of special needs children attending an ordinary school or adjacent schools. That is a practical arrangement to meet the needs of children.