Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 453: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the cases of children who have lost special learning support or other assistance as a result of the introduction of the new weighting scheme for special education needs; if she will indicate how this new approach is consistent with the professed commitment of the Government to the right of every person with a special learning need to an assessment; if she will make a statement on the need for and delivery of service based on that statement of need. [23272/05]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the criteria which have been used in her most recent allocation of additional teaching resources for children with special needs; the number of schools that have benefited and the number of schools where she estimates there is a need for additional allocation in the future based on this criteria. [23273/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together.

As the Deputy is aware, a new scheme for allocating resource teachers to schools to cater for the needs of children with high incidence special needs and learning support needs was announced last month. The reason for the new scheme is simple. Children with special needs such as dyslexia or mild learning difficulties are found in almost every school. It makes sense then that every school should have a number of resource teaching hours based on the number of pupils in the school.

This is a major improvement on the previous system under which children with high incidence special needs required a psychological assessment before they were given resource teaching hours by the Department. This was a time consuming process that often led to delays in children getting the support they needed. Resource teachers will now be in place in the school from the start of the school year so that children who need their assistance can get it straight away.

Under the new arrangement disadvantaged schools, boys schools and mixed schools get extra resources as research shows that pupils in these schools are more likely to have learning difficulties. Under the new model a new ratio has been introduced for small schools with a lower appointment ratio for the first full post for each type of small school.

As differing pupil-teacher ratios apply to boys' schools, mixed schools and girls' schools for the purposes of the general allocation system, a small school in the case of boys' schools is defined as a school with fewer than 135 pupils, in the case of a mixed schools as a school with fewer than 145 pupils and in the case of a girls' school as a school with fewer than 195 pupils. Small boys' schools will now qualify for their first post at 100 pupils. Small mixed schools will qualify for their first post at 105 pupils. Small girls' schools will qualify for their first post at 150 pupils.

All allocations up to the point for the first full post will be made on a pro rata basis. If a small boys school has just 50 pupils, for example, it will get 0.5 of a post. The allocations between the point of the first full post and the cut off enrolment point for small schools will stay at one post, that is, a small boys school with between 100 and 135 pupils will get one full post. These changes represent a substantial improvement for small schools on the original model.

To ensure that every school has enough resource teaching hours to meet the needs of its pupils, an extra 660 resource teaching posts are being put in place for next September. Some 340 of these are permanent posts and 320 are temporary posts being provided to ensure that children who had been given an individual allocation of resource teaching hours by my Department will keep these in situations where the general allocation to the school would not be sufficient to allow the school to provide these hours from within its general allocation.

The provision of these temporary posts will ensure that no child who has been allocated a specific number of hours with a resource teacher by my Department will lose these under these new arrangements. The reality is that the majority of schools are gaining resource teaching hours under the new scheme.

I stress that despite misleading claims to the contrary, the new scheme does not prevent schools from giving one-to-one time with a resource teacher to any child who needs such support. Rather, it ensures that each school has enough resources to ensure that each child gets a level of support appropriate to their individual needs.

The school can then use its professional judgment to decide how these hours are divided between different children in the school to ensure that all their needs are met. Research shows that some children with special needs will respond better with one-to-one tuition. Others, however, do better when taught in small groups. Often it is best for resource teachers to work with children in the classroom rather than taking them away to a separate room as the children then have to catch up work done by the rest of the class in their absence. The point is that the type of response needed depends on the child.

While the new scheme will not prevent schools from giving one-to-one time with the resource teacher to children that need it, it is important to note that one-to-one teaching is not the best option for every child. It is also the case that pupils with lower incidence special needs, such as autism, will continue to be catered for on an individual application basis.

As of next September, there will be more than 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares to fewer than 1,500 in 1998. One out of every five primary school teachers is now working specifically with children with special needs.

It is anticipated that a review of the general allocation model will be undertaken after two years of operation. However, in regard to disadvantaged schools the position may be reviewed at an earlier stage in the context of the development of a new policy framework for educational inclusion.

The Government and I, as Minister for Education and Science, are deeply committed to improving services for children with special needs. In addition to the massive increase in resource teachers in recent years, the introduction of this new general allocation scheme will ensure a faster and more flexible response for children with special needs.

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 455: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her Department has assessed the adequacy of places for children with emotional and behavioural problems who need special attention which would not be available in the ordinary classroom setting; and her plans to develop additional resources to cater for children with these special needs. [23274/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has sanctioned the following provision for pupils with emotional and behavioural problems at primary school level: eight special classes for pupils with emotional behavioural problems; six special classes for pupils with severe emotional behavioural problems; two special classes for pupils with ADHD in mainstream primary schools. All such classes operate at a pupil teacher ratio, PTR, of 8:1 with the support of a minimum of one special needs assistant. Classes for children with more severe disorders operate at a PTR of 6:1.

In addition, there are 12 special schools for pupils with emotional disturbance. The special educational needs of the children in question can be addressed in special dedicated schools, in special dedicated classes attached to ordinary schools, or on an integrated basis in ordinary schools. Decisions regarding the most appropriate model of response in each case are based on the professionally assessed needs of the individual pupil. Many pupils with the conditions in question are capable of attending ordinary schools on an integrated basis with the support, where necessary, of the resource teacher and-or special needs assistant services. Where the level of the disorder is of a more serious nature, provision is made by way of special schools or special classes attached to ordinary schools. It is my intention to continue to build on these developments so as to ensure that all children, including children with emotional and behavioural problems, receive the support they require.

The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has been established as an independent statutory body with responsibilities as set out in the National Council for Special Education (Establishment) Order 2003. The NCSE through local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is responsible for processing resource applications for children with special educational needs from 1 January 2005.

Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a primary or post primary school, it is open to the school to apply to the local SENO for additional teaching support and-or special needs assistant support for the pupil. I am confident the establishment of the NCSE will prove of major benefit in ensuring that all children with special educational needs receive the support they require when and where they require it.