Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 458: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which she can assist persons diagnosed by an education psychologist with learning difficulties whose applications were submitted to the Department over the past two years and whose applications were neither turned down nor granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23277/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Where a pupil has a high incidence disability, that is, those with mild or borderline mild general learning disability, dyslexia or a learning support need, these needs will now be catered for from within the general allocation system recently announced to schools. Any pupils within these categories, for whom applications were previously submitted to my Department now fall to be catered for from within this allocation.

The school can 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.