Ms Paula Prendeville:

Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach as ucht an cuireadh don NCSE teacht agus labhairt leis an gcomhchoiste inniu. I am here in my role as head of policy and practice in the NCSE. I am joined by my colleague, Ms Madeline Hickey, who is our specialist sensory lead. Her role is to provide advice and support to students in our schools who are deaf or hard of hearing and students who are blind or have visual impairments.

The NCSE's vision is for an inclusive society where children and adults with special educational needs are supported to achieve better outcomes in their education to enable them to develop skills for life to participate to their fullest potential in society. This vision is realised by activities that are set out by our functions identified in the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. These functions include planning and co-ordinating educational supports for children and young people with special educational needs, conducting and commissioning research, and advising the Minister for Education on policy pertaining to special education. The 2004 Act also identifies our role to review and advise on educational provision for adults with disabilities. It is within the context of this function that we warmly welcome the opportunity to speak to the committee today about aligning education with the UNCRPD, to discuss topics that include life after school and transitioning from school to further education and-or employment for young people with special educational needs.

With Ireland’s ratification of the UNCRPD, the NCSE recognises that, in its role, it will take time to support the development of a progressive realisation of an inclusive educational system. The UN acknowledges that significant change takes time to implement. Article 24 recognises the right of persons with disabilities to education, to provide for an inclusive education system at all levels and to support lifelong learning opportunities that enables the development of each person with disabilities to their fullest potential. This article also provides for the provision of reasonable accommodations to include effective individualised support measures consistent with the aim of full inclusion. This includes the NCSE’s role in supporting and advising on the provision for learning for students with disabilities, using various forms of communication, including ISL, and embedding the tenets of a universal design for learning approach.

The NCSE is supporting developments of an inclusive educational system in a number of ways. In September 2019, the school inclusion model, SIM, a new pilot model of supports for schools, was established and it aims to build schools’ capacity to include students with additional educational and care needs in our schools. The NCSE assists in the implementation of this model. This capacity building model includes a joined-up thinking, wraparound support where teachers access the supports of therapists, including speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and behavioural practitioners, along with our colleagues in the National Educational Psychological Service. This model enables capacity building in schools by raising awareness and understanding of the specific needs of our students with disabilities in our schools.

Along with this pilot, there is a fully-funded Department of Education training programme in University College Dublin for 3,500 special needs assistants who provide for the care needs of our students with disabilities. The overall aim of this initiative is to assist in building an inclusive culture in our schools. An evaluation of the first year of this therapy project identified the positive impacts of this project that included teachers’ acquisition of knowledge from engaging with therapists that enabled these teachers to identify the needs of students. This included differentiation of instruction and creating more positive interactions in school settings. However, notwithstanding the benefits of therapists in school settings, there have been challenges in accessing therapists in these roles due to the current shortage of available therapists. The NCSE also provides funding for teachers to upskill in areas such as ISL, braille and access to postgraduate training in the areas of support for deaf or hard of hearing students or blind or vision impaired students in our schools.

We are in the process of finalising policy advice on the education provision for students in special schools and classes. An interim progress report that informs this policy, published in 2019, outlined the view of the NCSE that all children should be educated together, with the appropriate supports in place, unless there is strong evidence to support the contrary. The final report on this advice is scheduled for publication this year.

Under Article 7, the NCSE recognises the importance of capturing the voice of students in regard to their education. Under Article 27, there is a requirement of the State to support the rights of persons with disabilities to work on an equal basis with others and to work in an environment that is open, inclusive and accessible for all persons with disabilities. In response to this article, the NCSE has completed a number of initiatives. These include guidelines for students with special educational needs and their parents or guardians, entitled “Planning for Life After School”, which supports the preparation and planning for students and their parents. Topics in this document include further education and entering the workplace, as well as supports for students with high support needs.

We have also published two research reports to inform pathways for young adults. Our research report No. 14, Moving to Further and Higher Education: An Exploration of the Experiences of Students with Special Educational Needs, provides information from focus groups that were interviewed to seek their views on the pathways for students with disabilities moving to further education. This report examined the roles of the institutions involved, the supports that were available and the students’ experiences, issues and barriers, as well as best practice and strategies to support students transitioning to further and higher education. Our research report No. 15 reviewed literature on what works in the provision of higher, further and continuing education, training and rehabilitation for adults with disabilities to assist adults with disabilities to participate in and progress from education, training and rehabilitation. Key findings from this report included the necessity to set clear targets and objectives, identifying barriers and resolving these, and adopting an inclusive approach. It was noted that legislation was not enough to ensure adequate provision and that staff training was also required.

The NCSE is also on a steering committee to support action 1.3 of the comprehensive employment strategy, the aim of which is to provide access to all school leavers requiring specialist supports to an appropriate transition programme. Significant background work has been completed to develop this project and it is a priority project for education to address significant issues in regard to the provision of supports for young people with disabilities. Notwithstanding the delays that have occurred as a result of Covid-19, the NCSE is looking forward to supporting this project and supporting the development of resources to assist young adults with intellectual disabilities in transitioning from our schools.

Déanfaimid gach iarracht na ceisteanna a fhreagairt anseo inniu agus is féidir linn scríobh chuig an gcomhchoiste tar éis an chruinnithe le heolas breise más mian leis. Tá mé sásta agus ag súil le haon mholadh atá ag an gcomhchoiste maidir lenár seirbhísí a fheabhsú do dhaoine le riachtanais speisialta a chloisteáil.