Ms Maeve McCafferty:

On the resources teachers need, last Saturday the INTO held its special education conference in Cork with over 300 teachers in attendance. We had one workshop on planning and special education. It was an attempt at responding to the needs of our members who are looking for support in planning and special education. It was the one workshop for which we probably needed security on the door to control the stampede, such is the appetite among teachers for continuing professional development, CPD, in this area.

We should be clear that teachers are dedicated to this. We have heard much about planning. We do not want to lose focus either on high-quality teaching, however. Planning is critical and a central part of teaching and learning. Teachers plan conscientiously but, at the same time, we do not want our teachers to become administrators. They are already floored with paperwork and bureaucracy. The real focus should be on high-quality teaching to support children with Down’s syndrome.