Written answers

Wednesday, 2 March 2005

Department of Education and Science

Special Educational Needs

9:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 215: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if for the future she will approve the special needs teaching facilities and models in primary schools throughout County Kildare that are most suited to each particular schools requirements, having regard to children's needs and parents concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7246/05]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Every effort is made to ensure that children with special educational needs receive an education appropriate to their needs. Decisions regarding the most appropriate model of response in each particular case are based on the professionally-assessed needs of the individual child.

Children who have been assessed as having special educational needs have access to a range of special support services. The services range from special schools dedicated to particular disability groups, through special classes-units attached to ordinary schools to placement on an integrated basis in ordinary schools, with special back-up supports.

My Department's policy is to ensure the maximum possible integration of children with special educational needs into ordinary mainstream schools. Many children with such needs are capable of attending mainstream schools on a fully integrated basis with the support, where necessary, of special resource teachers and-or special needs assistants.

Children with more severe disabilities are catered for in special schools which are dedicated to particular disability groups. There are three special schools in operation in County Kildare at present catering for approximately 157 pupils with special needs with a pupil-teacher ratio ranging from 6:1 to 11:1. These schools cater for children from four to 18 years of age and each school enjoys a significantly reduced pupil teacher ratio and other staffing supports. Additional special needs assistant support is provided if deemed necessary. Special schools also receive increased rates of capitation funding.

In addition to these special schools, I can confirm that the following special needs provision in County Kildare has been sanctioned by my Department to cater for the special educational needs, SEN, of pupils: nine special classes for pupils with autism at a pupil-teacher ratio of 6:1; six special classes for pupils with mild general learning disabilities at a pupil-teacher ratio of 11:1; and one special class for pupils with moderate general learning disabilities at a pupil teacher ratio of 8:1.

All special classes attached to ordinary mainstream schools enjoy the same increased levels of staffing and funding as are made available to the special schools. Children with special educational needs attending special classes attached to ordinary schools may, where appropriate, be integrated into ordinary classes for periods of the school day and, in that way, benefit from being able to socialise with their non-disabled peers.

My Department also provides funding for The Saplings Project, a facility sanctioned on a pilot basis which uses applied behavioural analysis methodologies for children with autism. There are approximately 30 children enrolled in the facility.

While children are awaiting a suitable educational placement, my Department may sanction home tuition as an interim measure, if appropriate.

In the light of the reality that pupils in the high incidence disability categories of mild and borderline mild general learning disability and dyslexia are distributed throughout the education system, my Department, in consultation with educational interests, developed a general model of resource teacher allocation to schools to support students in these disability categories. This model, which was announced by my predecessor in 2004 to come into effect from September 2005, was designed to put in place a permanent resource in primary schools to cater for pupils in these categories.

The model was constructed so that allocations would be based on pupil numbers, taking into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls in this regard. The logic behind having a general allocation model is to reduce the need for individual applications and supporting psychological assessments, and put resources in place on a more systematic basis, thereby giving schools more certainty about their resource levels. This will allow for better planning in schools, greater flexibility in identifying and intervening earlier with regard to pupils' special educational needs, as well as making the posts more attractive to qualified teachers.

As I have told the Dáil on a number of occasions, I am very conscious of difficulties that could arise in relation to the model announced last year, particularly for children in small and rural schools, if it were implemented as currently proposed. Accordingly, I am having the proposed model reviewed to ensure that it provides an automatic response for pupils with common mild learning disabilities, without the need for cumbersome individual applications, while at the same time ensuring that pupils currently in receipt of service continue to receive the level of service appropriate to their needs. In carrying out the review, my Department is consulting with representative interests including the National Council for Special Education.

I have made it clear that I am in favour of using a general allocation model to ensure that we have in place a permanent resource in our primary schools to cater for pupils with high incidence mild disabilities and learning difficulties. However, it will not be as announced last year. The revised procedure for providing a general allocation of resource hours to schools will be announced in the coming weeks, in time to be implemented for the next school year.

In the lower incidence disability categories resources will continue to be allocated on the basis of individual applications. It is important that where there is a particular and special need in the low incidence category these children are considered individually. These pupils are not evenly distributed among schools and a general allocation model would not be appropriate. However, the involvement of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, and the special education needs organisers will greatly enhance the speed of response to such applications.

I am confident the advent of the NCSE will prove of major benefit in ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those in County Kildare, receive the support they require when and where they require it.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 216: To ask the Minister for Education and Science her proposals in respect of the special needs teaching model to be approved for a school (details supplied) in County Kildare; the status of circulars 904, 802 and the relevant 05 circular in regard to special needs teaching and the way in which the school in question is likely to be catered for in respect of special needs requirement in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7247/05]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The school referred to by the Deputy currently has the services of one shared learning support teacher and two resource teachers.

In light of the reality that pupils in the high incidence disability categories of mild and borderline mild general learning disability and dyslexia are distributed throughout the education system, my Department, in consultation with educational interests, developed a general model of resource teacher allocation to schools to support pupils in these disability categories. This model, which was announced by my predecessor in 2004 to come into effect from September 2005, was designed to put in place a permanent resource in primary schools to cater for pupils in these categories.

The model was constructed so that allocations would be based on pupil numbers, taking into account the differing needs of the most disadvantaged schools and the evidence that boys have greater difficulties than girls in this regard. The logic behind having a general allocation model is to reduce the need for individual applications and supporting psychological assessments and put resources in place on a more systematic basis, thereby giving schools more certainty about their resource levels. This will allow for better planning in schools, greater flexibility in identifying and intervening earlier with regard to pupils' special needs, as well as making the posts more attractive to qualified teachers.

As I have informed the Dáil on a number of occasions, I am, however, conscious of difficulties that could arise in respect of the model announced last year, particularly for children in small and rural schools, if it were implemented as currently proposed. Accordingly, I am having the proposed model reviewed to ensure that it provides an automatic response for pupils with common mild learning disabilities, without the need for cumbersome individual applications, while at the same time ensuring that pupils currently in receipt of service continue to receive the level of service appropriate to their needs. In carrying out the review, my Department is consulting with representative interests including the National Council for Special Education.

I have made it clear that I am in favour of using a general allocation model to ensure that we have in place a permanent resource in our primary schools to cater for pupils with high incidence mild disabilities and learning difficulties. However, it will not be as announced last year. The revised procedure for providing a general allocation of resource hours to schools will be announced in the coming weeks, in time to be implemented for the next school year. A communication will issue to the school in question at that point. In the lower incidence disability categories, resources will continue to be allocated on the basis of individual applications.

It is important that where there is a particular special need in the low incidence category that these children are considered individually. These pupils are not evenly distributed among schools and a general allocation model would not be appropriate. However, the involvement of the National Council for Special Education and the special education needs organisers will greatly enhance the speed of response to such applications.

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