Ms Martina Mannion:

In looking at the circulars, they have not been reviewed since 1990 and that is obviously a particular challenge. When we look at best practice, everybody here, as have the people who have appeared before the committee before the Department did, have said that the best thing is for children, where possible, to acquire a second language and to be best supported to do that. That is at the heart of what we were trying to do in the 2019 review. We talked a little earlier about there being an unprecedented response to the review of the circulars. There were over 11,000 responses to the survey and over 100 detailed submissions.

In looking at the changes we made in the 2019 circular, we did a couple of key things. We moved away from a diagnostic model. That dignostic model was reflected in the 1990 circulars, which was that we then understood special education as only being supported in a way that had to be medically diagnosed. We have moved away from a diagnostic model to a needs-based model. We based that on a continuum of support and on the information that was found in the student’s support file. That way of supporting special education is completely in line with best practice. I am aware that our colleagues from the inspectorate are not here but Ms Tansey and her colleagues from NCSE will be able to say that that is best practice for children with special educational needs. That was one of the key things that we did.

We included the provision for children in special classes in special schools, which was very important, because this is recognising our children in special classes and in special schools are there because they have a very specific need which requires additional resources and supports. Recognition of those cohorts of children is contributing to the numbers of children because we now have more children in special schools and in special classes.

I know the Deputy is aware of this and has been extraordinarily supportive of the new special schools, five of which we have opened in the past two years. We have increased our numbers of special classes exponentially and we now have 2,500 special classes across the system. We have new legislation which allows us to open special classes in a faster way, if we so need.

There are 8,000 children in special schools and 15,000 children in special classes. That is a very significant number of children in special education getting the support that they completely need and deserve. Ensuring that those children are supported in our system was a critical calling out for that support in the 2019 circular.

We have been looking at best practice, have been moving away from a diagnostic-based model, have been moving to a needs-based model and have been supporting the children in specialist provision. Furthermore, in 2022, the additionality has been around the recognition of the multiple and persistent need and that has been the only change. This has only come in since September and we hope to have more information on it shortly.