Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senators Buttimer and Healy Eames for raising this issue which I take on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe. All pupils with a mild general learning disability have and will continue to have additional teaching resources to support their education. All primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to enable them to support pupils with high incidence special educational needs, including mild general learning disability. Each school was given these additional teaching resources under the general allocation model of learning support and resources teaching introduced in 2005.

These additional teaching resources have not been withdrawn from any school. Schools can decide how best to use this allocation based on the needs of the pupils. Most pupils with a mild general learning disability are included in ordinary classes with their peers and are supported by their class teacher. The curriculum is flexible so that teachers can cater for the needs of pupils of different abilities. This policy of inclusion has widespread support within the educational community. This approach is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Schools can use their resource and learning support allocation to give pupils special help it they need it. This might be done with a teacher working with a group of pupils or on a one-to-one basis for a number of hours each week.