Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this topical issue. I suspect it is one that is rarely raised in the House.

All Members of the House are rightly concerned with ensuring that the State supports children who may have learning difficulties or other disadvantages that might hamper their educational development or their general opportunities in life. It might seem a little strange to be seeking support for very bright or gifted children with exceptional learning ability, but it is an issue that we must address both for the well-being of the children concerned and also for the benefit of the country. It is tempting to be glib and ask what these children could possibly need and to say they are very lucky and that their parents should be thankful. However, these children have specific requirements which must be met if they are to fulfil their potential and maximise the contribution they can make to society and the economy.

We all recall from our childhoods that the worst thing a child can be is different, one way or the other. There is a danger of exceptionally gifted children being isolated and sometimes frustrated in the learning environment they occupy in the standard State school system. These children learn faster, earlier and differently. There is a growing population of children in Ireland with what is called dual exceptionality. This is where their intellectual ability is often in the top 5% quotient or above, but they also might have a mild to severe learning challenge and sometimes even a profound disability. Being an exceptionally bright child does not always mean that the child will have an exceptionally bright future, and parenting can be a daunting challenge for those who are rearing what is known as a gifted child.

Unlike many countries, there appear to be scant resources available in Ireland for exceptionally able children, yet it is estimated there are over 27,000 children who fit into this category. There is also probably a need to ensure that training is provided for teachers to recognise and cater for children with exceptional ability. On the face of it, there appears to be a lack of opportunities for those children to develop their talents and skills further. I am aware of the facilities in Dublin City University, DCU, and the University of Limerick. However, if one identifies a gifted footballer, musician or artist when they are young, those skills are honed, encouraged and developed. There is a vast number of children in this country, 27,000, who fit the profile of being exceptionally able, so it is important that we try, in so far as we can and notwithstanding the resources available to us, to contribute as much as possible to develop their ability so they can fit in and continue to enjoy the school and general learning experience they encounter.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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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.

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply which sets out the services available and the policies which inform those services. It is important that we have in place a support mechanism for young people who are exceptionally able. Through my work as a constituency Deputy I have had contact with students who are frustrated because they no longer feel challenged in a classroom environment, which then leads to frustration in the teaching profession. Our teachers do an excellent job but often find it difficult to continue to challenge a student who feels academically unfulfilled in a classroom environment. A teacher has a significant number of pupils to teach and coach through the curriculum. Parents are also trying to balance all of this. It is important this area is closely monitored.

As I said earlier, I am conscious of a service in Dublin City University which provides an outlet and resources for exceptionally able children. It is important that such resources are available to all children and not only children from families who can afford to access them. I know that the Dublin City University service does its utmost to support everybody who tries to access it. I thank the Minister of State for his response to this issue. It is an area in which I have an interest and know the Minister of State, given his brief, will also be interested in it.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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I again thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I can assure him that we have a good knowledge of the DCU entity. I would be interested in exploring avenues with other higher education institutes, be they institutes of technology or universities, in regard to the development of similar entities.

To be fair, teachers have a number of students to teach within the classroom environment and try to do so to the best of their ability. There may be additional resources that could be provided in a third level academic environment near to where the student lives that might encourage the exceptional needs about which we are speaking. It is an issue on which I have an open mind. The DCU model could potentially be replicated with the willingness of the institutes of technology and universities.