Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
451 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 9 has lost access to special education resources which they previously enjoyed; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this loss will adversely affect this person’s progress; the system of appeal which he has in place to allow parents challenge this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21964/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for special educational resources for the pupil referred to by the Deputy was reviewed by my Department. The application did not meet the criteria for either resource teaching hours or for special needs assistant support in accordance with my Department's circulars. The application will be reconsidered if additional information in relation to the pupil's teaching or care support needs is received in my Department.
452 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of children with special education needs who have made application to his Department for additional resource teaching or classroom assistants; the number of these children for whom an allocation of additional resource has been made; the aggregate amount of additional resource granted to these children; and the number of children who continue to await a decision from his Department. [21965/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe special education section of my Department received 5,856 applications for resource teaching and special needs assistant support since 1 September 2003. A total of 1,200 applications for resource teaching support, amounting to 215 wholetime equivalent teacher posts, and 452 applications for special needs assistant support, amounting to approximately 284 wholetime equivalent SNA posts, have been sanctioned. All applications in respect of resource teaching hours received by the closing date of 30 June 2004 have been processed and, where the application satisfied the relevant Department circulars, the resources were granted. Applications received since the 30 June 2004 closing date in respect of new entrant pupils continue to be processed. My Department prioritised applications for SNA support for new entrants and decisions on the majority of these were communicated to schools on 12 August 2004. My officials are continuing to communicate with schools in respect of other new entrant cases as additional supporting information is provided.
With regard to SNA support for the 1,155 non-new entrant pupils for whom schools are awaiting a response, it has been my intention for some time to carry out a general review of support levels and deployment in mainstream national schools. Bearing in mind the view expressed by schools that any such review should have regard to the actual situation on the ground, I have decided that the process should involve a visit to each school which has SNA support. Arrangements are being made for this review to commence at an early date and a further communication will issue to schools in this regard. Decisions regarding the appropriate level of SNA support in individual schools will be based on the outcome of this review. Pending notification of the outcome, schools have been advised by my Department that, if they have surplus SNA capacity, they may retain the excess up to the level of applications made to the Department for which a response is awaited.
453 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will report on the findings and recommendations of the audit of special need resources; the changes in policy which have been introduced by his Department to the system for allocating additional assistance to children with special needs; and if he will outline the appeal mechanism for children who believe they have been adversely affected by changes in policy in his Department. [21966/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of its evaluative role, my Department's inspectorate conducted a sample survey in late 2002 of 25 primary schools which had been allocated resource teacher and special needs assistant support. The objective of the review was to provide a detailed account of the additional allocation of resources for pupils with special educational needs with particular reference to the terms of the relevant Departmental circulars. The report expressed concern at the higher than expected incidence of significant disability identified in the survey, although it emphasised the need for caution in drawing firm conclusions because of the small sample involved. It also noted that increased access to psychological assessment services in recent years had led to increased numbers of pupils in mainstream schools being identified as having special needs. Nonetheless, the report expressed concern that the greater availability of resources in recent years may also have led to significant overidentification of special needs in schools and that such overidentification had serious long-term implications for the future funding and development of special education services.
Arising from the findings in the report, subsequent applications for special educational resources have been subject to individual verification. In the case of teacher resources, the outcome for each applicant school will be based on a new weighted system of allocation which I announced recently. The new system will involve a general weighted allocation for all primary schools to cater for pupils with higher-incidence special educational needs, such as borderline mild and mild general learning disability and specific learning disability, dyslexia, and those with learning support needs. It will also allow for individual allocations in respect of pupils with lower incidence special educational needs.
The weighted allocation will be made as follows: in the most disadvantaged schools, as per the urban dimension of Giving Children an Even Break, a teacher of pupils with special educational needs will be allocated for every 80 pupils to cater for the subset of pupils with higher incidence special needs; in all boys schools, the ratio will be one teacher for every 140 pupils; in mixed schools, or all girls schools with an enrolment of greater than 30% boys, one for every 150 pupils; and in all girls schools, including schools with mixed junior classes but with 30% or less boys overall, one for every 200 pupils. In addition, all schools will be able to apply for separate specific allocations in respect of pupils with lower-incidence disabilities.
Unsuccessful applications in respect of pupils with lower-incidence disabilities will be reconsidered if additional information on the pupil's teaching needs are received in my Department.
