Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I address my comments to the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, who is not present. I was appalled by a reply she issued to my Question No. 433 on 29 November, which asked for details of the number of schools in Dublin 1, 3 and 7 that have suffered a reduction in resource teachers this school year. The Minister refused to answer the question stating that the specific information was "not readily available". This is simply not credible as it would take the relevant officials a matter of minutes to establish the position. I trust it is not the case that the Minister did not want to know the answer to my question.

The Minister then listed the so-called benefits of the new allocation system for learning support resource teachers. This mechanism fails to recognise the glaring failing in the system, namely, the fact that the allocation is now based on school size rather than the level of need in specific schools. This means that small inner city schools and small disadvantaged schools generally, which have a disproportionately high level of need, lose out. The very schools in which learning support plays a critical role in the educational development of so many children in need are losing out. In these schools resources are essential to give the children any real chance to counteract the social problems, drugs issues and educational deprivation in their living environment.

Additional investment in learning support rather than the removal of resources is what these schools desperately need. This is the reason 14 inner city schools have raised serious concerns on this issue with the Minister's officials. The Minister should meet the principals of the schools in question. I have no doubt she would then accept the real damage the current allocation system is causing and will continue to cause.

Last night I attended a meeting of parents and teachers in the INTO headquarters in Parnell Square. The main hall and surrounding hallways were packed with nearly 400 parents, teachers, principals, child psychologists and so on. Those attending were understandably angry at the inept approach to learning support allocation in so far as it affects small disadvantaged schools with a high level of need. Teachers and parents expressed outrage that at a time of considerable affluence critical resources are being withdrawn from these schools. These resources had begun to make a significant difference to the degree to which the schools in question could help deprived children.

I call on the Minister to address this issue now. The level of need in each of the 14 schools must be known to her Department. If that is not the case, it is time she ensured the relevant information was made available to her. She must also defer any threat to remove resource teachers or reduce resource hours in any small disadvantaged school. Investment in alleviating educational disadvantage must involve increasing resources in inner city disadvantaged schools or it becomes meaningless. How can the Minister even countenance reducing resources in schools serving Sheriff Street, O'Devaney Gardens, Summerhill, Ballybough and Greek Street, to mention just a few areas? Investment in schools in these areas will pay dividends in future.

If the Minister is serious about addressing disadvantage, she will meet the people on the front line of disadvantage, the principals of the inner city schools, and listen to what they have to say. Not only will she not meet them, she will not come into the House to respond to the matter I raise. She is running away from her responsibilities on this issue. She was in the coffee dock 20 minutes ago in full knowledge that I intended to raise this matter on the Adjournment, yet decided to allow another Minister to answer on her behalf. That is a disgrace and shows disrespect to the parliamentary procedures of the House.

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Deputy will be aware that the general allocation of learning support-resource teachers is intended to cater for children with learning support and high incidence special educational needs. The system was constructed so that learning support-resource teachers' allocations would be based on pupil numbers, taking into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls in this regard.

The new system has a number of benefits associated with it. It puts resources in place on a more systematic basis thereby giving schools more certainty about their resource levels, facilitates early intervention as the resource is in place when the child enrols, reduces the need for individual applications and supporting psychological assessments and allows flexibility to school management in the deployment of resources, leading to a more effective and efficient delivery of services.

In introducing the general allocation system transitional arrangements were also introduced whereby transitional hours were allocated to schools to cater for children for whom individual teaching resources had previously been allocated but which it would not have been possible for the school to continue to provide from its general allocation. In the circumstances no child would lose his or her resource teaching support. It is intended that a review of the general allocation model will be undertaken within three years of operation.

More than 5,000 teachers in our primary schools now work directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This figure compares with a figure of fewer than 1,500 in 1998. Moreover, one in five primary school teachers now works specifically with children with special needs. I am also pleased that over the next two years 500 extra teachers will be allocated in primary schools to reduce class size and tackle disadvantage.

With regard to the inner city schools referred to by the Deputy, officials from the Department of Education and Science have discussed the concerns of these schools with the Irish National Teachers Organisation and requested that the schools in question send any information they believe supports a case for additional special needs supports to the Department. The Department awaits full details so the concerns of the schools can be considered.

It should be noted that, taking account of their allocation this year, including the general allocation model, a number of these schools enjoy exceptionally favourable pupil-teacher ratios with an average of 10:1.

The Department of Education and Science has introduced a new action plan for educational inclusion, delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS. A key element of DEIS is the putting in place of a standardised system for identifying levels of disadvantage in primary and second level schools for the purposes of qualifying for resources, both human and financial, according to the degree of disadvantaged experienced. This standardised system will replace all existing arrangements for targeting schools for participation in initiatives to address disadvantage.

As a result of the identification process, approximately 600 primary schools, comprising 300 urban and 300 rural, and 150 second level schools will be included in a new school support programme, SSP. The SSP will bring together and build upon a number of existing interventions for schools and school clusters or communities with a concentrated level of educational disadvantage. Existing schemes and programmes will be integrated into the SSP on a phased basis over the implementation period.

The Department anticipates being in a position to notify participating schools in regard to the outcome of the ongoing identification process by the end of the year. The Government, particularly the Minister for Education and Science, is deeply committed to improving services for children with special needs. In addition to the massive increase in resource teachers in recent years, the introduction of this new general allocation scheme will ensure a faster and more flexible response for children with special needs.