My Department considered an application for resource teaching support for the pupil referred to by the Deputy. Resource teaching was not approved since the child is not eligible under Circular 08/02. The purpose of this circular is to ensure, in so far as is possible, that resource teaching support is allocated on the basis of professionally-assessed need. In the first instance, however, pupils who have reading difficulties, or who function at a low level, are the responsibility of their class teachers. Where a low-functioning pupil – at or below the 10th percentile – shows no signs of improvement, in spite of the best efforts of the class teacher, the pupil may be referred for learning support. Schools are able to meet the needs of most children with reading difficulties by means of the learning support service.
There are some pupils who have severe learning difficulties and who function at a very low level – at or below the second percentile. However, such difficulties may also be encountered in a child of average or above average intelligence and, in such cases, the discrepancy between ability and achievement is not readily explained. The discrepancy is even harder to explain where progress continues to be slow in spite of the best efforts of class and learning support teachers. It is because the discrepancy is widest in the case of these pupils that their need is seen as greatest and most likely to need more intensive support from a resource teacher.
