Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the issue raised by Deputy Nash and to clarify the position regarding the supports available for gifted children in schools.

The Education Act 1998 requires the board of management of each school to publish the policy of the school relating to participation by students with special educational needs, including students who are exceptionally able. The measures schools take in this regard are required to be stated in the school plan. It is the duty of school boards of management to ensure that appropriate education services are made available to such students.

Schools at both primary and second level use strategies such as curriculum differentiation, curriculum enrichment and acceleration to facilitate the development of pupils who are exceptionally able. Syllabi and curricula for second level schools have been designed in such a way as to enable teachers to cater for the wide range of pupil ability.

The revised primary curriculum recognises the importance of developing the full potential of the child and caters for pupil diversity, including meeting the needs of exceptionally able pupils. The curriculum at primary and secondary school level identifies curricular content and matters relating to the learning process and places strong emphasis on enabling children to learn how to learn. The curriculum also places considerable emphasis on the development of language skills, investigatory and problem solving skills, higher-order thinking skills, working individually and as a member of a group. These skills are encouraged at both levels.

Use of information and communication technologies and class and school libraries is meant to benefit all pupils in terms of additional learning. The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, NCCA, in collaboration with its counterpart in Northern Ireland, the Council for Curriculum Examination and Assessment, CCEA, has produced draft guidelines for teachers of exceptionally able students. These guidelines issued to all primary and post primary schools in November 2007, along with a questionnaire for feedback. The NCCA-CCEA guidelines are designed to raise awareness of the social, emotional and academic needs of exceptionally able students and to assist teachers in planning their teaching and learning. The guidelines provide advice to schools on the identification of gifted children. They set out profiles of students and identify whole school and classroom strategies and case studies which demonstrate how schools can best meet the needs of such students.

The Special Education Support Service, SESS, is a service under the management of the Department of Education and Skills which provides support for teachers to assist them in meeting the needs of all pupils with special educational needs, including pupils who are exceptionally able. The service is available to schools which may be seeking advice or support relating to a specific special education issue in the school. In addition, the Professional Development Service for Teachers, PDST, also under the management of the Department, provides training to assist teachers to differentiate for all pupils, whether less or more able. Issues around exceptional ability and giftedness are addressed as part of the school planning process which is facilitated by the PDST.

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