Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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12. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views regarding whether it is appropriate for special schools to implement a policy of regular suspensions for students with ASD, ADHD and ODD. [45096/14]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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All special schools receive enhanced pupil teacher ratios ranging from 6:1, to 12:1, depending on the disability categorisation of pupils attending. These enhanced ratios are provided because pupils attending special schools have very significant special educational needs. Special schools also receive very high levels of special educational needs assistant staffing support.

It is not appropriate for special schools to implement a policy of regular suspensions of pupils. Where a pupil is suspended from a school, a parent may appeal this suspension under section 29 of the Education Act 1998. Where a pupil is suspended from a school for more than six days, or is absent for an aggregate of more than 20 days in the school year, the school is obliged to notify the Educational Welfare Service of the Child and Family Agency of this absence. Advice and support is available for special schools from the National Educational Psychological Service, NEPS, and the Special Educational Support Service.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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I posed this question in the context of a difficult case in my area involving the parents of a young man with severe problems and some behavioural issues who has been to several schools but got a place in a special school. However, because the school did not seem to be able to manage his behaviour, in the parents’ opinion, he was routinely suspended, although the school was supposed to be his place of refuge. The parents have got private applied behaviour analysis, ABA, tutoring for him and have themselves done a lot of work with him and they believe the problem is the way the school is handling him rather than any inherent difficulties in the young man. If a different approach had been adopted, perhaps the results could have been better.

They told me he is an intelligent man in many ways. His learning has been absolutely impacted on by the fact that on many occasions he has been suspended. The idea that it is a school for children with special needs and he has been expelled because of the difficulties arising from those needs does not make any sense. Is that a routine policy? I note what the Minister said about how they may appeal but does this not sound particularly odd in those circumstances?

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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Parents would be advised to engage with the school in that situation. I presume they have done so. I need to be careful about commenting on a particular case when I do not know its circumstances. In the first instance, the parents would be advised to engage with the school principal and board of management. Under section 21 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000 the school is required to notify in writing an educational welfare officer where a student is suspended from a recognised school for a period of six days or more or where the aggregate number of school days on which a student is absent from a school during a school year is 20 days or more. On receiving that notification, the educational welfare officer will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that provision is made for the continued education of the child and his or her full participation in school. The educational welfare officer should have a central role in these cases, dealing with the school and possible alternative schools. I referred to section 29 and NEPS, is also available. I am not sure whether these bodies have been involved in this case.

Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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The good part of the answer is that suspension should not be the first port of call and should be quite unusual. That reassurance is being sought. The difficulty is that in the opinion of some professionals, which has been sought, regular suspension of a student can demonstrate to him that if he is bold he will get off school the next day which can cause problems. Other penalties such as internal suspension or taking the child out of the immediate environment but keeping him in the school environment and other milder sanctions might be better than leaving him at home with the parents struggling and making it more difficult for them to bring him to school the next day.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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We would not like to see expulsion happening easily. That is why there is advice, support and interventions available. I do not know the circumstances of the individual case but if the Deputy wants to engage specifically on that case, we may be able to offer specific advice. As Minister, I cannot comment on it here.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The Deputies asking questions Nos. 13 and 14 are not present.