Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 May 2021
208. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Education the number of applications from schools seeking an exceptional review for the past three years by the proportion of applications that were successful and rejected, respectively and the proportion of applications that were made by developing schools and established schools, respectively in tabular form; the success rate of these applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29035/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe NCSE has responsibility for planning and coordinating school supports for children with special educational needs including the allocation of SNAs and reviews.
The Special Needs Assistant (SNA) scheme is designed to provide schools with additional adult support staff who can assist children with special educational needs who also have additional and significant care needs. Such support is provided in order to facilitate the attendance of those pupils at school and also to minimise disruption to class or teaching time for the pupils concerned, or for their peers, and with a view to developing their independent living skills.
SNAs are not allocated to individual children but to schools as a school based resource. The deployment of SNAs within schools is a matter for the individual Principal/Board of Management of the school. SNAs should be deployed by the school in a manner which best meets the care support requirements of the children enrolled in the school for whom SNA support has been allocated.
It is a matter for schools to allocate support as required, and on the basis of individual need, which allows schools flexibility in how the SNA support is utilised.
The exceptional review process was introduced for mainstream classes in the 2019/20 school year. Schools were notified of the arrangements from the date of issue of Circular 0030/2020, when SNA allocations were frozen, and automatically rolled over to the following school year.
The arrangements also included the following provisions:
- A diagnosis of a disability, or a psychological or other professional report, is not necessary for this process.
- The role of the SNA to support the care needs of students in mainstream classes as set out in Circular 0030/14, remains unchanged
Subsequently, in order to minimise disruption for schools, in the current circumstances, and to provide for continuity of allocations, existing mainstream class SNA allocations in schools on 30 April 2021 will be maintained and will automatically rollover into the 2021/22 school year.
It is expected that schools will review and reprioritise the deployment of SNAs within mainstream settings and allocate resources to ensure those with the greatest level of need receive the greatest level of support. Providing access to SNA support continues to be based on primary care needs as outlined in DES Circular 0030/2014.
Priority consideration will now be given by the NCSE to applications for increased support for the 2021/22 school year, in particular, applications from schools with no SNAs and developing schools will be prioritised. Determinations will be made before 30 June. Other applications will be processed in order of date received.
As in previous years, where circumstances change during the course of the 2021/22 school year that materially increase the level of care need in a school to the extent that the school can clearly demonstrate that it cannot be met within the existing SNA allocation, the school may apply to the NCSE for an exceptional review. Detailed information on the NCSE exceptional review process is published on the NCSE website ncse.ie/for-schools
The NCSE has published SNA allocations on their website www.ncse.ie.
SNA allocations for special classes and special schools are not affected by this arrangement.
Circular 0029/2021 has been published and advises schools of the arrangements for the allocation of SNAs for the 2021/22 school year.
The provisions set out in Circular 0030/2020 have been extended for the 2021/22 school year.
Circular 0029/2021 and Circular 0030/2020 are available on the Departments website.
The information requested is not held by the Department and I will refer the Deputy's question to the NCSE for their direct reply.
