Holly Cairns
Ceist:437. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Education the number of students with addresses in Cork South West that are traveling to special schools or schools with special units in Cork city. [28143/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 31 May 2022
Ceisteanna (437)
Freagraí scríofa
School Transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year over 121,400 children, including over 15,500 children with special educational needs, are transported on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools throughout the country.
The purpose of the School Transport Scheme for Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is, having regard to available resources, to support the transport to and from school of children with special educational needs arising from a diagnosed disability.
Bus Éireann have informed the Department there are approximately 40 pupils travelling on transport from the South West/West area of Cork to various special schools or schools with special classes in Cork City.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. NCSE is aware of an identified need for additional special classes for students with autism at primary and post primary levels in the South West Cork area.
Currently, a network of 39 primary school special classes, including 4 Early Intervention classes and 18 post primary special classes provide 342 specialist placements for students with autism in South-West Cork, 7 of which were newly established for the 2021/2022 school year.
Through ongoing consultation with schools and parents at local level, the NCSE is aware of students who are seeking special education placements for the 22/23 academic year.
Through their network of SENOs, NCSE is currently engaging with 9 primary and 5 post primary schools in the general South West Cork area regarding the establishment of additional special classes for 2022/23 and beyond. As the availability of specialist places continue to increase throughout the country, it would be expected that this would reduce the travelling distances required of students and the resulting stress caused.
It is open to any school to engage with the NCSE to establish a special class. My Department works in close collaboration with the NCSE to ensure that the necessary provision is put in place on a timely basis throughout the country.
Parents seeking special class placements for their children are advised to contact their local SENO so that their needs can be taken into account for planning purposes.
Care is taken to minimise the amount of travel for students but I am aware that it is not always possible to secure a suitable placement in a local school and this is an issue of concern. Occasionally, the specialist nature of the placement involved requires the child to travel some distance.