Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 950: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if any assessment has been carried out of the effectiveness of the policy of integration of special needs pupils into mainstream classrooms in which the pupil-teacher ratio is above the 20:1 recommended and planned ratio, particularly in cases in which the pupil-teacher ratio is in excess of 25:1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10953/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has not carried out any assessment of the effectiveness of the policy of integration of special needs pupils into mainstream classrooms that is related to class size, nor am I aware of research internationally. Conducting such research to draw reliable conclusions would be difficult because of the variety of variables involved such as children's skills and knowledge on entry, socio-economic level, gender, home influences and parental input, intelligence and concentration quite apart from the individual children's special educational needs.

My Department will continue to provide additional teaching and special needs assistant resources for schools to enable them provide assistance for pupils with special educational and care needs and learning delays.