Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 2:

To delete all words after “Dáil Éireann” and substitute the following:"recognises:

— the strong commitment of this Government and the last Government to the issues of student mental health and wellbeing, and special educational needs;

— that the Government’s commitment to special educational needs is evidenced in particular by the increase of the overall budget for special educational needs supports from €1.28 billion in 2011 to more than €1.5 billion now, with special educational needs accounting for approximately one fifth of the overall education budget, and corresponding improved outcomes for students;

— that the number of special classes has more than doubled, from 548 in 2011 to 1,153 across the country now, of which 889 are special Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classes; that the number of special classes at post-primary level has doubled in the past three years and continues to rise rapidly;

— that the number of resource teachers has increased by more than 41%, from 5,265 in 2011 to over 7,500 now;

— that, since 2011, the number of Special Needs Assistants has increased by more than 22%, from 10,575 to 13,115; and

— that, since the previous Fine Gael-led Government took office in 2011, and despite an adverse economic climate, sanctioned National Educational Psychology Service (NEPS) staffing numbers have been maintained at the same levels, and NEPS now provides a service to an additional 20,000 pupils compared to 2011;

and calls on the Government to:

— restate its strong commitment to both the areas of special educational needs and student mental health and wellbeing, and the range of ambitious measures underway in these areas through the Action Plan for Education;

— give a firm commitment that no school and no student with special educational needs will lose resources as a result of moving to the new model of allocation of resource teaching, and above all that all students will see better outcomes as a result of its implementation;

— carefully evaluate the case before considering any legislative change to compel schools to open ASD units or special classes against their will as there should be convincing evidence that the school system in an area is failing to make provision for ASD students before any such move should be considered and any possible unintended consequences should be carefully examined, including the question of whether parents and students would be satisfied to attend a school which had been compelled to provide these services against its will;

— restate the commitment in the Programme for Partnership Government to deliver an additional 65 NEPS psychologists over the lifetime of this Government; and

— commits to the recruitment of a total of 21 educational psychologists by September 2017."

I welcome this debate, which is important, as Deputies have indicated. One of the goals I set in my Action Plan for Education is that within a decade we would have the best education and training service. One of the areas in which we set out to be best is the way in which we deal with young people who come to education either with a special need or with a disadvantage. Listening to the Deputies opposite, they gave a very inaccurate portrayal of what is happening. Since 2011, there has been a 41% increase in the number of resource teachers, or teachers for children with special educational needs. That equates to an additional 2,187 teachers for those children and we sought to vindicate their rights in a difficult time. There are 2,517 additional special needs assistants, SNAs, supporting children with special needs in our schools. Deputies mentioned ASD units and we have provided 601 additional units since 2011, an increase of 209%; in other words, we trebled the number of ASD units in the past five years for children with special needs. I am not saying everything in the garden is perfect but pretending we have done nothing in the area, as the Deputies have done, is very inaccurate and does not really serve the purpose we are here to address.

The point has been made that there is a more acute problem at second level. It is true to say second level ASD units have grown from a much lower base, although they have grown much faster. The growth in ASD units at second level has been almost 350%, meaning the number is almost four and a half times what it was. It equates to an additional 182 ASD units at second level. Taking the number of ASD units as a proportion of the children at second level, it is true their proportion when compared with those at primary level is only at approximately 70%. There are lower numbers in ASD units as a proportion of the second level school population but that reflects a growing transition where ASD units have entered into the system and are now moving to second level. I recognise that not every child who has been in an ASD unit at primary level necessarily will go on to second level but there is a very real commitment in the area. The additional 601 ASD units is a sign of real commitment.

We can also consider the building programme, which we have discussed during Question Time. There was an example in Kildare and I am sure there could be one in Cork as well. Not only do we have 59 ASD units in place in Kildare but there are three under construction and there are five in major building projects coming up the track. There is a very real commitment to roll out support in ASD units, as well as having other dimensions of support for children with special needs. As I stated, this is reflected very clearly in the numbers. Between SNAs and resource teachers there are approximately 4,700 additional people supporting those children. It is a real commitment and I certainly do not have to tell Deputy Michael McGrath that it was done in a difficult fiscal environment. The commitment has been very real.

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has told me that by and large it is satisfied with the availability of ASD units to meet needs but that is not to say there are not pockets with continuing problems, with Cork being one such area. We recognise there are problems. Deputy Mattie McGrath has drawn attention to problems in Clonmel and there are individual areas where I recognise there is a particular need. As with Deputy Thomas Byrne and others, I believe every school should accommodate children with special needs, regardless of their needs. It is already unlawful and as Deputies noted I am also seeking the power for the NCSE to direct a school to take a child.

I have an open mind on going beyond that. He is correct in saying the approach of the Department has not been compulsion but rather, in the tradition of partnership with schools, it sought to develop ASD units through the NCSE by working with local schools and special educational needs organisers, SENOs. It has not been about taking a legal power to date. There are some genuine concerns that if we take a legal power and force schools to act, there is a question of how parents will feel about sending children to a particular school that in a sense has been compelled to take that child. That is not to say I have a closed mind on the issue and I will work with others to see how we can address the issue. We all have a shared belief that we need to ensure that where there is a need and where it is preferred that support for a child should be in a unit of this nature, we deliver it. There have been cases where schools have resisted the roll-out of ASD units, which is unacceptable. We must move away from that.

A number of Deputies raised concerns about the new model for allocation of resources. There are approximately 2,200 additional resource teachers and we are putting another 900 in this year, bringing the total to over 3,000. There are major merits in the new model and we have been very careful to ensure that it was first piloted in 47 areas. Deputies Michael McGrath and Lisa Chambers raised the issue of us moving away from the requirement to have this expensive diagnostic test, which has been a barrier for children, particularly in disadvantaged schools. This model will allocate to schools resources based on the profile of the school. Deputy Thomas Byrne is right to seek the assurance that it will guarantee that no school will lose out or be left short of support for children with complex needs within a school. That is guaranteed.

Deputy Michael McGrath rightly raised the issue of early intervention. It also means that instead of a child in a school waiting to have an assessment done and for resources to come, the school will be in a position immediately to provide resources for the child. Schools will be assigned resources to support children based on the profile of the school. The change also means that the resource teaching will follow the need in the school. Unlike the previous model, which spread a lot of the jam evenly across all schools, it will, over time, provide more resources to the schools with the greatest identified need. This is based on the literacy standards and whether there are complex needs.

This is a very positive dimension and it means that we are moving away from the counterproductive labelling of children. Schools are best placed to determine how to cope with learning needs, whether in group settings or withdrawn settings. Preferably, they would not be withdrawn settings. This is the other dimension of the model. It gives schools the capacity to manage resources as effectively as possible. I had the privilege of visiting schools which have run the pilot, and it has been transformative. Instead of children with special needs being withdrawn and handled differently, it has been an integrated model. It has benefited not just the children with special educational needs but the whole community of children who see that their class invites in and supports children with special needs.

The Deputy also raised concerns about the NEPS. I understand those concerns. This is one area which has not expanded in recent years. This year, we are recruiting 21 additional psychologists, 11 of whom will fill posts that have already been sanctioned and ten of whom will take up new posts. Under the programme for Government, we will seek an additional 55 posts. It is not true, as some have said, that schools which do not have assigned psychologists have no access to psychological assessments. Under a private psychologist scheme, we give them access to such assessments. The service has been stretched and it is right that we expand it. I want further expansion and I welcome the Deputies' support for it.

I am intensively engaged in trying to support children more effectively. We are rolling out a well-being programme at junior cycle. We are investing €3 million in professional upskilling support to teachers to roll it out. Every teacher in the programme will have 22 hours of additional time to plan and deliver it. As Deputy Thomas Byrne knows, we are restoring guidance counselling. Those are very important supports to the psychological well-being, strength and resilience of children in our schools. The programme we are rolling out is an important element of the entire picture of ensuring we make the learning environment for children who might struggle in school, for whatever reason, as good as possible.

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