Áine Brady (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. I am pleased have the opportunity to clarify the position in regard to the matter raised by Deputy Enright.

The Deputy will be aware that allocations to schools typically increase or decrease depending on pupil enrolment. In the case of special classes for pupils with a mild general learning disability, the normal pupil-teacher ratio that applies is 11:1. The Department, however, allows for a small reduction in this number and permits schools to retain a teaching post where it has a minimum of nine pupils in the class. The minimum was not fulfilled in the schools in question and, therefore, the schools no longer qualify to retain the special classes for mild general learning disability.

In the case of 128 classes in 119 schools, the number of pupils dropped below this minimum. These schools, therefore, are no longer entitled to retain the teaching posts in these classes. All of the 119 schools from which the teaching posts are now being removed are in receipt of additional teaching resources under the general allocation model of teaching support to enable them support pupils with high incidence special educational needs, including mild general learning disability. These schools, therefore, have been resourced to cater for the categories of pupils in question.

It is also important to note that the 3,000 schools which do not have special classes for pupils with mild general learning disability meet the needs of these children through mainstream classes and the use of their general allocation teaching resources. Furthermore, some schools in recent years voluntarily disbanded their special classes and mainstreamed the pupils with the associated loss of the mild special class post.

The pupils from the 128 classes will now be placed in mainstream classes and will receive support from their class teacher and all will benefit from the support available to them through the schools' general allocation model. As I stated, other primary schools which do not have classes for children with mild general learning disability cater for these pupils from within the general allocation model.

The Minister for Education and Science has previously stated that he is open to listening to proposals from schools where they can demonstrate that it is educationally more beneficial for the pupils involved to be in a special class of their own rather than to be integrated with their peers and supported by the mainstream classroom teacher and the learning support-resource teacher. I understand that correspondence has been received by the Department from both of the schools in question in this regard and it is currently being considered by the Department. This process is well advanced and it is expected that a decision will be conveyed to the schools shortly.

There has been unprecedented investment in providing supports for children with special needs in recent years. There are now approximately 19,000 adults in our schools working solely with children with special needs. There are over 8,000 resource and learning support teachers in our schools compared to 2,000 in 1998. More than 1,000 other teachers support children in our special schools. Some 76 classes for children with mild general learning disability are being retained where there are nine children or more in these classes.

The Minister would like to emphasise that priority will continue to be given to provision for children with special educational needs. As stated, the establishment of these classes for mild general learning disability pre-date many of the developments in special education policy in recent years and we now have a system for providing schools with supports for children with high incidence special needs through the general allocation model.

I again thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to clarify the position in regard to this matter.

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