Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 May 2004
84 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will be authorising a programme to have more teachers qualify as special needs teachers; and if he has a strategy for ensuring that special needs teachers and assistants are in place to meet demands. [14253/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the policy of my Department that all teachers working with children with special needs will have relevant training and continuing professional development.
I have authorised a major expansion in the range of postgraduate training for teachers working with pupils with special needs in four colleges of education and UCD. In addition, I have authorised the introduction of a range of new training programmes to provide a mix of intensive induction training and more advanced training in specific areas. I have also established a special education support service, headquartered in the Laois Education Centre, to manage, co-ordinate and develop a range of supports in response to identified training needs. The service is currently developing training teams to deliver training in specific areas. In addition, the service supports a range of local initiatives including the use of e-learning which provides courses on-line during the school year.
My Department allocates resource posts and special needs assistant posts to first and second level schools to cater for pupils with special educational needs. In the case of first level schools, the 350 special needs teacher posts that I announced recently will be allocated as part of a new weighted system of teacher support for such pupils. This new weighted system will involve two main elements: making a staffing allocation to schools based on a predicted incidence of pupils with special educational needs; and making individual allocations in the case of children with more acute lower-prevalence special educational needs. Transitional arrangements for the introduction of the weighted system are being developed at present in consultation with representative interests.
In the case of second level schools, applications for such support are made to my Department by the relevant school authorities. Each application is considered on the basis of the assessed needs of the pupils involved and the nature and level of the support provided is determined on the advice of the psychological service.
