Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
329. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria employed when allocating specialist autism places to children for primary school; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15090/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra331. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the legal obligations on his Department to provide adequate specialist autism unit places to children in primary schools in each county and region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15093/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra332. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of specialist autism unit places in counties Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Roscommon by school and county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15094/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra334. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of applications received for the academic year commencing in September 2018 by the special education needs organiser based in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim; the number of applications per school and area being sought in tabular form; the way in which he plans to accommodate the number of applications in the respective schools and areas for September 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15096/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra335. Deputy Marc MacSharry asked the Minister for Education and Skills the procedure in circumstances in which children attending school who have autism have been in mainstream class rooms if and when an autism specialist unit is established at the same school; if these children are automatically given the places in the new autism unit; if they remain in mainstream class rooms; if there is an assessment carried out to determine same; if so, the person or body which carries out same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15097/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 329, 331, 332, 334 and 335 together.
My Department’s policy is that children with special educational needs including those with Autism, should be included in mainstream placements with additional supports provided, unless such a placement would not be in their best interests or in the interests of the children with whom they are to be educated, as is provided for under Section 2 of the Education of Persons with Special Needs Act 2004.
To this end my Department has allocated SNA support to over 12,000 extra pupils since 2011 and currently provides 13,400 resource teachers to meet the additional learning needs of children with Special Educational Needs including Autism.
Since 2011, the increase in SNAs has been 3,545, including an additional 2,080 posts in the last two years.
The number of resource teachers has increased by 3,660 since 2011, including 1,600 additional posts in the past two years. The number of special classes has risen by 712 since 2011, including 277 new classes in the past two years.
Most children with special education needs attend mainstream class, but some require the environment of a special class. This can be due to significant difficulties in areas such as behaviour or sensory needs which have not been ameliorated, even with appropriate intervention, in mainstream.
The decision to enrol a student in a special class should take account of:
- the student’s strengths, abilities and needs
- the student’s experiences and outcomes to date (in preschool or primary as appropriate)
- the interventions that were or could be put in place, within available resources to support the student’s inclusion in mainstream education
- the views of parents, students, teachers and other relevant professionals, as appropriate.
In order to access a special class a student must have a report from a relevant professional (for example, psychologist, speech and language therapist, psychiatrist) stating that:
- S/he has a disability in line with the designation of the special class in question and
- S/he has complex learning needs that require the support of a special class setting and the reasons why this is the case.
Under no circumstances should a school place a student in a special class without such a professional report. This should be reflected in the school’s enrolment policy and where parents of such students choose to apply to a school with special class places available the student should be admitted.
However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available a selection process may be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some students not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.
Section 29 of the Education Act, 1998 provides for an appeal by a parent or guardian to the Secretary General of my Department, or in the case of an Educational Training Board (ETB) school to the ETB in the first instance, where a Board of Management of a school, or a person acting on behalf of the Board, refuses to enrol a student in a school, expels a student or suspends a student for 20 or more days in any school year. Further information on the Section 29 appeals process is available on the Department's website www.education.ie.
The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter, in the first instance, for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools and it does not maintain details of the number of enrolment applications in schools.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), in consultation with the relevant education partners, is responsible for the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas where there is an identified need.
Schools may apply to the NCSE to open a special class where a need has been identified in their area. For example where a number of students have professional reports indicating they require the support of a special class.
Before approaching a particular school to request the establishment of a special class, SENOs take into account both present and future potential need within the area and must be satisfied that the class is sustainable and appropriately located.
There are currently 5 special schools and 94 special classes attached to mainstream schools in the Sligo, Leitrim, Donegal and Roscommon areas.
Since 2011 the number of ASD special classes have increased from 4 to 11 in Co. Sligo, from 2 to 5 in Co. Leitrim, 17 to 44 in Co. Donegal and Co. Roscommon from 4 to 18 in Co. Roscommon.
The NCSE has advised my Department that it intends to establish 12 new ASD classes in the counties referred to by the Deputy for the 2018/19 school year: 5 new Primary ASD classes and 7 new Post-Primary ASD classes.
The NCSE are continuing to engage with school in all areas where there is an identified need for additional special class provision to ensure there will be sufficient placements available to meet identified need.
Accordingly, the NCSE advises parents to seek to enrol their child, by applying in writing, to the school/s of their choice as early as possible. Where parents have been unsuccessful in enrolling their child in a special school or special class placement for the 2018/19 school year, they should update their local SENO to inform the planning process. Contact details are available at www.ncse.ie.
The Deputy may be aware that during the Committee Stage debate of the School Admissions Bill, I outlined my intention to include a provision that will provide, based on reports and advice from the NCSE, a power for the Minister to require a school to open a special class or increase the number of special classes in schools identified by the NCSE. My Department officials are currently engaging with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on the development of legislative proposals on this matter which they hope to bring forward to Government for approval.
Details of all special classes for children with special educational needs are available on www.ncse.ie in county order, and with new classes identified.
