Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

This motion concerns the unacceptable hardships people face in attempting to secure education for their children. It aims to ensure access to education for people with disabilities and special needs by applying pressure on the Government to provide this urgently.

Sinn Féin acknowledges that progress has been made in special needs education, including the passage of the Education for Persons with Special Needs Act 2004. Like every other Deputy, however, I encounter numerous ongoing cases of parents fighting for access to education for their children. For example, the parents of a child in Ardee diagnosed with dyslexia, progressing from infants to first year, were told he must wait 18 months to be assessed by a psychologist. Imagine the effect of that on the child's education.

Officials of the Department of Education and Science refused to grant co-operation hours for teachers of practical subjects in St. Brigid's school for children with mild general learning disabilities in Dundalk. This would involve an additional four hours and 45 minutes per day in the school. The result is that students with disabilities receive practical subject input on a week on, week off basis, which is not acceptable.

It is also important to provide proper training for special needs teachers. There are instances in my constituency of ordinary teachers — perhaps they are extraordinary teachers — with no training or experience who are asked to cover resource hours. This needs to be addressed.

The motion urges the Government to take immediate steps to fulfil its commitment to reduce class sizes for children under nine years of age to less than 20, and to plan for future teacher supply requirements, including the immediate establishment of a forum for teacher supply. This is particularly important for children with special needs. Last November, the INTO expressed its shock and disappointment at the announcement by the Minister for Education and Science that class size for all children under nine years of age will not be reduced below 20:1, a commitment made in the programme for Government.

Class size is linked to special needs education. Reducing class size in the early years is a preventative rather than a remedial approach. A smaller class size gives pupils a better start and enables teachers to identify the particular needs of individual children. In the words of the INTO, "It is not that we cannot afford to reduce class size — we cannot afford not to reduce them".

This State has the second largest class size in western Europe, with over 80% of children under nine years of age, 170,000 children, in classes of greater than 20. According to the INTO, to reduce average class sizes to under 20:1 will require approximately 2,500 more teachers. More will be needed to provide a smaller class size for children under nine years of age.

Average class size here is 24.5 while the OECD average is only 22. Most states in the European Union have an average class size considerably lower than here, including Denmark at 19, Belgium at 20, Italy at 18 and Luxemburg at 15. Average class size at second level is 21 in the European Union while the OECD average is 24. The Government must place the issue of addressing class size at primary level at the top of its agenda. It needs to ensure that the commitment given in the programme for Government is met in full.

Each Member could easily recall many representations regarding difficult individual cases in this critical area. We have chosen not to deal with individual cases tonight but to consider the broad issues. I hope the Minister will take on board the content of the debate, particularly the contributions of my colleagues.

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