Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn. I thank Deputy Bannon for raising this issue as it gives me an opportunity to clarify the position on the matter raised by him.

I wish to clarify for the Deputy that the Department has always valued the contribution made by special schools to the continuum of provision being made for children with special educational needs. The programme for Government clearly states education will be a priority for the Government and that we will endeavour to protect and enhance the educational experience of children, young people and students. In this regard, the Department has prioritised the level of supports being provided for special schools. It has issued Circular 0042/2011 to all special schools to advise them of the staffing arrangements which will apply in special schools for the next school year. While the data available indicate that there is a surplus of teaching posts throughout the special school sector, current teaching staff levels will be retained in special schools for the 2011-12 school year at existing levels, except in the case of schools with excess teaching posts which are losing such posts through retirement. The existing level of special needs assistant, SNA, supports will be rolled over in special schools for the coming school year, other than for schools with declining enrolments, with a review to take place in the autumn of the 2011-12 school year.

The school in question, St. Brigid's special school, is a designated school for children with mild general learning disability. Such schools operate at a pupil-teacher ratio of 1:11. I understand the school currently has 80 pupils enrolled and a staffing level of ten teachers, a principal and 14 special needs assistants. This results in an overall staffing to pupil ratio of 1 staff member per 4 pupils in the school. The nature of the disabilities of the children attending the school means that they have significant education and care needs. However, this is reflected in the level of staffing and SNA support allocated to the school. The NCSE has advised the Department that it considers this level of staffing to be sufficient to meet the special educational and care needs of all of pupils enrolled in the school.

I wish to clarify for the Deputy that the Department recognises that staffing levels and pupil-teacher ratios should reflect the complexity of need within individual schools and should not be solely determined by a special school's designation. As such, special schools will be staffed based on their actual current pupil profiles and the disability category of each pupil, as opposed to primarily by school designation. It is intended that school staffing schedules will be reviewed and updated each year by the NCSE.

I wish to confirm that the Department has received an application from St. Brigid's special school for improved accommodation. The application is being assessed and the school management will be notified of the outcome of the assessment in due course. The Department will continue to liaise with the school authority in this regard. I again thank the Deputy for bringing the matter before the House.

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