Ms Maeve McCafferty:

The INTO thanks the Oireachtas for the opportunity to be here as representatives for more than 35,000 primary teachers in the South of Ireland. Currently, children with Down's syndrome attend both special and mainstream schools. Their educational placement is determined by their needs and by the choice of their parents. The learning ability of children with Down's syndrome varies from severe and profound general learning disability to mild general learning disability.

Therefore, the learning needs of children with Down's syndrome also vary. Children with Down's syndrome who attend special schools are in classes of approximately six to eight pupils. Children with Down's syndrome in mainstream schools could be in classes of 30 pupils or more and usually receive additional support from the special education team. The INTO is of the view that educational provision for children with Down's syndrome should be in a continuum, depending on their unique needs. The greatest lacuna in providing support for children with special educational needs, including children with Down's syndrome, is the lack of therapies. Children with special educational needs often require speech and language therapy, occupational therapy or other therapies such as behavioural therapy and counselling. The INTO welcomes the piloting of a model to provide school based therapy services. Not all children with Down's syndrome require therapies, but when they do, they should be available, regardless of whether the children attend special or mainstream schools.

The special education support service, SESS, which is now part of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, provides professional development opportunities for teachers. While the SESS provides valuable and high quality professional development opportunities, they are insufficient. In addition to courses and seminars, there is a need to develop in-school sustained support services. All newly qualified teachers have studied special and inclusive education as part of their initial teacher education courses, but it is important that teachers have opportunities throughout their career to continue their learning and development in the area of special education. The certificate and diploma courses provided by colleges of education are highly regarded, but they are only accessible to teachers in special education posts. Given the policy focus on inclusion, all teachers - mainstream and special education - should have access to certificate and diploma courses in special education.

The July provision scheme is very valuable for children with severe and profound learning disabilities and ASD as it allows for continuity and as little interruption as possible in the education of children who require stability and consistency. However, the fact that the July provision scheme is confined to children with severe and profound learning disabilities and ASD is seen as excluding other children with learning disabilities such as children with Down's syndrome. In its policy advice on the education of children with ASD the NCSE recommended that the July provision scheme be reviewed. There are many practical issues to be addressed such as who should be entitled to additional educational provision during the summer, what the nature of summer educational programmes supported by the State should be and the practical arrangements to be made pertaining to the curriculum, employment and location. The INTO welcomes the proposal to review the operation and purpose of the July provision scheme.

Children with Down's syndrome thrive in schools, be they special or mainstream, where teachers have been afforded the opportunity to avail of appropriate professional development courses on the education of children with Down's syndrome and suitable supports are in place.