Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The austerity measures in recent years have hit the most vulnerable the hardest. We have seen how this Government and the forerunner the Labour - Fine Gael government targeted some of the most vulnerable people in education. Capitation grants were cut, class sizes remained high, career guidance positions were axed, teachers’ pay was cut and teachers were demoralised. The teaching positions allocated to the Traveller community were cut. Those students who have special needs were greatly impacted and the debate tonight is about those students.

I will first turn to some of the issues that have arisen in Cork. There is a particular concern among parents there regarding the lack of provision for children with autism. I attended a public meeting in Cork on this issue a number of months ago at which parents, teachers and other elected representatives were present. There is no adequate provision of autistic spectrum disorder, ASD, special classes - or anything near enough - in schools in Cork. One teacher informed me that the special educational needs organiser in Cork contacted every secondary school in the city and found that apart from the four schools that already had ASD special classes, no school except one would set up an ASD special class despite the needs of the incoming student cohort. In Cork city in the 2016-2017 academic year only one boy was offered a place in an ASD special class in a mainstream school. That is just one place or the entire city of Cork.

Let us consider other figures. According to figures I have been given by a teacher in Cork city, during the 2015-2016 academic year there were 1,164 students in special classes in at second level across the State. There were 3,426 students in special classes at primary level. The simple maths is that 3,426 places required cannot go into the 1,164 students at second level. In Cork city and county last summer there were 396 students trying to get into 205 places at second level. Again the maths is simple; there is simply not adequate provision. While there will be some pupils who do not need a special class at second level or who may go to a special school, there will also be those who did not need a special class at primary level and who will need one at second level. The experience is that when primary school concludes students with autism face a major disruption in their education. There are many pupils with ASD who can thrive in mainstream classes. There are others who cannot and who need the environment of a special class with a smaller group of students, experienced teachers and SNAs. In such situations, these students can achieve in education when they would not if they were in the mainstream classroom.

In reply to parliamentary questions, the Minister for Education and Skills and his predecessor have repeatedly stated that the setting up of special classes is “subject to the willingness of schools to open classes.” The Government will say that the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 will make it illegal to refuse a person with autism from a school. Under that Bill, the NCSE will have the ability to place children in schools where a school place is not available. The key point is, however, that there is no provision in the Bill for the NCSE to direct that special classes be established.

7 o’clock

Students needing special classes will be placed into a mainstream class, causing major disruption to that student’s education unless such provision is put in place. That is the crux of the matter. That is what needs to be done.

I want to make a couple of points about NEPS and the resource teaching situation. It is scandalous that there are thousands of children in the education system without access to an educational psychologist through NEPS. There are 619 primary and secondary schools without access to a NEPS psychologist for making assessments. The Oireachtas Library and Research Service has outlined that 131 DEIS schools have no access to a NEPS psychologist. Like many aspects of our public services, private operators are used to fill in gaps in the underfunded and understaffed public service. This is not something that is done by accident, it is done by design. It is part of a general neoliberal model the Government has for our public services.

The amendment to the Fianna Fáil motion mentioned the crude limitation of two assessments per 100 pupils under the current system. That shows the approach that Ministers have taken over the years. Rather than catering for whatever are the needs of our young people, they penny-pinched and allocated access to assessments based on a crude budget, not on needs. There was a 15% cut in the number of resource teacher hours and this cut has not been reversed. There is to be a new allocation model that does not depend on formal diagnosis. On the face of it, this is to be welcomed, given the problems in accessing formal diagnosis for many young people. However, there are still serious doubts about the new resource allocation model being advanced. I support the call for an absolute assurance that no student will have resource teaching hours reduced, even by a single hour.

In conclusion, I want to make several points of that the service the resources situation it is scandalous that thousands of students in education system without education access to an occupational's psychologist of the service there are 619 primary and secondary schools without access to a psychologist, assessments are class library and research services over that 131 schools no access to a psychologist like many aspects of our public services private operators beautiful in gaps under on that land on. Robinson was is not by accident the storm by design as part of the channel, the only role model the amendment to the Fina file motion mentioned the criminal limitation of two assessments per 100 pupils on the current system that shows the approach that ministers over the years have taken rather than catering for whatever other needs of our young people they penny pinched and allocated access to assessments based on a crude budget and not on these there was a 15% cut in the numbers of resource teacher hours and this course has not been reversed there is to be a new allocation model that does not and formal diagnosis on the face of it this is to be welcomed given the problems in accessing formal diagnosis for many young people however there are still serious doubts about the new resource allocation model being advanced I support the call for an absolute assurance that no student will have resource resource teaching arms reduced even by a single hour.

See this speech in context