Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I thank Deputy Crowe for raising this issue. I advise the Deputy that there has been no reduction in the number of teaching staff allocated in the special school sector for the forthcoming school year. The NCSE is responsible, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants, SNAs, to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE also is responsible for determining the appropriate staffing levels for the support of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support.

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 Department is aware that many special schools now enrol students from disability categories other than from those provided for by their school designations. The Department has, therefore, authorised the NCSE to allocate teaching resources in accordance with the complexity of need that exists within individual special schools, as opposed to primarily by school designation. This is a significant change. For example, a school which is designated to cater for children with physical disability may now have a mixed enrolment including children with multiple disabilities as well as children with physical disability.

In line with its designation, this school will currently have a pupil teacher ratio of 10:1. However, under the terms of circular 42/2011, the allocation in respect of the children with multiple disabilities will be improved from 10:1 to 6:1. This provision will be of significant benefit to such a school.

From the 2012-13 school year, all special schools will be staffed based on their actual current pupil profiles and the disability category of each pupil, and in future years school staffing schedules will be reviewed and updated each year by the NCSE.

The nature of the disabilities of pupils attending special schools means they have significant educational needs. This is reflected in the level of teaching staff allocated to special schools.

However, the Department is aware that a number of special schools currently retain posts which are surplus to their allocations. The NCSE will manage the staffing of special schools and where necessary will suppress posts in schools, which have excess teaching posts, in order to ensure there are posts available to meet the needs of schools with growing pupil numbers. Whereas I understand that schools may wish to maintain current staffing levels, the NCSE must ensure that, where there are surplus teaching posts in schools, these must be redirected to meet the needs of children who need this support.

I have asked the NCSE to provide formal advice on the appropriate nature and configuration of educational supports which should be allocated to schools to provide students with special educational needs with the opportunity to develop to their full potential. I expect this advice to be delivered early next year. I thank the Deputy once again for raising the matter.

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