Vol. 550 No. 2
554 Mr. S. Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason deaf people have not been allowed to train as teachers given that Irish is not included on the curriculum in schools for the deaf; and the way in which he intends to resolve this discrimination. [7516/02]
At present, the courses run in the State that allow for appointment to a permanent post in a primary school are the three year bachelor of education degree and the full-time 18 month graduate diploma in primary teaching. Both of these courses are run in the colleges of education which specialise in the training of primary teachers.
The bachelor of education degree programme offered at the colleges of education is designed to equip teachers to teach the full range of subjects in the Irish primary school curriculum. Teachers who have obtained a B.Ed degree from these colleges are permitted to teach in all national schools where they are required to complete a successful probationary period leading to full recognition as a primary teacher.
During the bachelor of education programme, students must develop competencies in the full range of subjects to be taught in national schools, including Irish, and the award of the B.Ed degree signifies that the teacher involved is competent to teach all subjects on the curriculum. Consequently, the study of Irish is a core component in the B.Ed programme, and students entering colleges of education are required to have a minimum competence in this subject in their leaving certificate examination.
Deaf children in general have enormous difficulty in acquiring a first language. As English is the preferred medium for the vast majority of deaf children, it is felt that the greatest emphasis should be placed in acquiring oral and written competence in English. Because of the difficulties some children have in acquiring a first language, English, exemption is given from the study of Irish to certain categories of children with special educational needs, including deaf children.
Where children who are exempted from the study of Irish wish to pursue Irish, it is open to them to request their schools to provide instruction in Irish. My Department will provide support in such circumstances.
Significant and complex issues can arise in relation to access to the teaching profession by people with disabilities. I have made arrangements to establish a working group to examine and review the present arrangements in consultation with relevant interests, and having regard to best international practice in this area. I have asked the group to expedite its work and report to me at an early date.
555 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Education and Science the situation regarding eligibility for remedial education in primary schools; if discretion is now being removed from school principals in this regard; and the role and involvement of parents in this review of entitlement to remedial education. [7530/02]
In 2000, as part of my Department's reading initiative, learning support guidelines were provided to all schools with the aim of ensuring that all children achieve appropriate levels of literacy and numeracy during the course of their primary education. The learning support guidelines recommend high levels of co-operation between class teachers, learning support teachers and parents in supporting children who are experiencing learning difficulties. In selecting pupils for remedial education, priority should be given to those pupils who achieve scores at or below the 10th percentile in standardised tests in literacy-numeracy. To allow for measurement error, consideration may be given to selecting pupils who achieve scores up to and including the 12th percentile. Once schools are satisfied that the needs of pupils who have very low achievement or serious learning difficulties have been met, a limited degree of flexibility may be exercised in the deployment of the learning support teacher.
The principal teacher has overall responsibility for the school's learning support programme and for the operation of services for children with special educational needs. Once a pupil has come to the attention of the school because of low achievement or learning difficulties, it is possible for the class teacher, in the context of ongoing contact with the pupil's parents, to make them aware of the situation and to: ascertain the parent's views about the child's performance at school; outline school practices regarding the administration of diagnostic tests by the learning-support teacher; outline the support that is available to the pupils in school whose achievement is low and/or who experience learning difficulties; seek the parents' approval to proceed with the diagnostic assessment, which may lead to supplementary teaching; indicate that a meeting between the parents and the remedial teacher will take place following the diagnostic assessment and prior to the commencement of supplementary teaching.
If, following diagnostic assessment, it is agreed that the pupil should receive remedial teaching, the parents can contribute to the development and implementation of their child's individual profile and learning programme by discussing the learning targets for their child and by identifying activities that can be implemented at home to support the work of the school in achieving the agreed targets.
