Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 428: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason the recommendation of the special education needs organiser to provide 41 additional teaching hours and to provide resource teaching for children with special educational needs at a school (details supplied) in County Tipperary was not implemented; her views on these additional hours; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27634/05]

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

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 2005.

Since 1 January 2005, the NCSE through local special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is responsible for processing resource applications for children with special educational needs. The level of teaching and special needs assistant support for special educational needs is determined by the SENO in accordance with my Department's resourcing policy for special educational needs. The procedures for appointment of teachers and-or SNAs arising from such decisions, are outlined in my Department's circular letter PPT 01/05. This circular states that, in regard to additional teaching support, school authorities within their teacher quota may proceed to make the necessary staffing adjustments on receipt of the decision of the SENO.

All other schools must await the direction of the Department of Education and Science before making any teacher staff adjustments.

In situations where schools have over quota posts, my Department routinely requires that these posts be utilised to meet new and emerging needs within such schools, including those of pupils who have special educational needs, where appropriate. In the case of the school in question, my Department decided that the teaching hours recommended by the SENO should be met from within the school's existing resources, which included 5.5 surplus teaching posts.

An independent appeals committee is available to school authorities who wish to appeal the adequacy of their teacher allocation. The school in question appealed this decision to the independent appeals committee and was granted a further 0.09 whole-time equivalent posts. This committee operates independently of my Department and its decisions are final.

Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 429: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason home tuition grants have been withdrawn from children on the autistic spectrum entering special school for the first time (details supplied); the further reason parents of children on the autistic spectrum have been informed that this grant will be withdrawn altogether with effect from 1 January 2005 as the special schools in South Tipperary do not operate the ABA and individual education plan system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27635/05]

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

I am most anxious that all children receive an education appropriate to their needs. As the Deputy may be aware, the home tuition scheme is primarily intended to provide compensatory instruction for pupils who have a medical ailment that is likely to cause major disruption to their attendance at school. In this context, my Department provides home tuition grants in respect of pupils who cannot attend school at all, or who are absent for a significant proportion of the school year. My Department also sanctions home tuition in cases where children are awaiting a suitable school placement. My Department considers that school-based education provision is the most appropriate intervention for all children and has discontinued the practice whereby children who are in full-time education provision would also be able to avail of home tuition grants.

The following dedicated resources are now deployed to support children with special educational needs in the primary system: over 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares to under 1,500 in 1998. One out of every five primary school teachers is now working specifically with children with special needs; nearly 6,000 special needs assistants; more than €30 million on school transport for special needs pupils; and more than €3 million towards specialised equipment and materials.

Two of the children referred to by the Deputy were in receipt of a home tuition grant while awaiting school placement. I can confirm that they are now enrolled in a special school since September 2005. Their needs are being catered for in a special class for pupils with autism with a maximum pupil teacher ratio of 6:1 together with special needs assistant support. As these pupils are now in full-time education, the matter of the continuance of home tuition no longer arises.

The third pupil is also enrolled in a special class for pupils with autism in a special school with enhanced supports. This pupil is currently in receipt of a home tuition grant. My Department has written to the pupil's parents confirming its intention to discontinue the practice of sanctioning home tuition grants for pupils who are also in full-time education. This has also been communicated to the pupil's school. In the interim, however, my Department has sanctioned the continuance of the grant for this pupil to the end of the current school term to allow further consideration to be given to the needs of the pupil. In this regard, the school has been requested to make contact with the local special education needs organiser, SENO, to discuss how the needs of the pupil can be met by the school.

Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 431: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the assistance available to dyslexic children with reference to the Letterkenny branch of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland; and her plans to improve these services. [27512/05]

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

My Department has been providing annual funding of €63,500 to the Dyslexia Association of Ireland since 1999. This funding has helped the association to operate an information service for members and the public. In addition, it has assisted in meeting the costs associated with the attendance of some children from disadvantaged backgrounds at workshops and programmes organised by the association. More specifically, last June my Department approved payment of a once-off grant of €16,400 to the Letterkenny branch of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. The purpose of the grant is to develop a model of co-operation with local schools and their resource teachers in relation to services for children with dyslexia and how the Letterkenny branch can link in with their local schools.

The report of the task force on dyslexia contains over 60 individual recommendations ranging across a wide variety of issues from identification and assessment, to models of service delivery, specialist training for service providers, to issues relating to structural reforms and the maintenance of a data-base of pupils with specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia, who are in receipt of special education services in primary and post-primary schools.

Since the task force reported, a number of initiatives have been taken in the area of dyslexia. These include: the introduction of the first ever on-line training course for teachers catering for pupils with dyslexia; the appointment of ten new learning support trainers to the primary curriculum support programme, specifically to provide in-depth support for the implementation of learning support guidelines for children with dyslexia; a reduction from 11:1 to 9:1 in the pupil teacher ratio applicable to special classes catering for pupils with dyslexia; and the development, in association with the Department of Education in Northern Ireland, of an information resource on dyslexia which is available in cd-rom, dvd and video format.

In addition to measures outlined, a key focus of my Department has been on advancing the fundamental structural and legislative measures, which are necessary to underpin the development and delivery of services for persons with special needs, including children with dyslexia. A key development on the structural front has been the Government's decision to approve the establishment of the National Council for Special Education, NCSE.

The NCSE, which became operational on 1 January 2005, now processes applications for special educational needs, SEN, supports. The council has a key role in the development and delivery of services for persons with special educational needs. It will have a research and advisory role and will establish expert groups to consider specific areas of special needs provision. It will also establish a consultative forum to facilitate inputs from the education partners and other interested parties. The council has a local area presence through a network of over 70 special educational needs organisers, SENOs.

On the legislative front, the Oireachtas has approved the Education for Persons with Special Needs Act 2004. This Act sets out the rights and entitlements of persons with special educational needs, including dyslexia, to an appropriate education service and provides the necessary framework for effective service delivery.

My Department also provides funding to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers to assist children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia, with their education where such equipment is recommended by relevant professionals. Schools can apply to the local SENO directly for this support.

Training is available through the 21 teacher education dentres nationally for teachers using ICT and assistive technologies to support pupils with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia. The provision of resources to address the learning difficulties of children with low levels of achievement in reading has been given a very high priority by my Department. As the Deputy is aware, my Department announced the new general allocation system last May with a view to it being implemented in all primary schools with effect from the start of the current school year. The general allocation scheme is designed to ensure that each school has enough resource teaching hours to meet the needs of children with high incidence special needs, such as dyslexia and children with learning suppport needs.

There are now more than 5,000 teachers in our primary schools working directly with children with special needs, including those requiring learning support. This compares to under 1,500 in 1998. One out of every five primary school teachers is now working specifically with children with special needs, including with dyslexia.

Where the condition of a pupil with dyslexia is of a more serious nature, provision can be made in one of the four special schools or 23 special classes attached to ordinary primary schools and dedicated to the needs of children with dyslexia. All special schools and special classes for such children operate at a reduced pupil teacher ratio of 9:1.

At second level, each school in the free education scheme or block grant scheme with an enrolment of fewer than 600 recognised pupils, excluding pupils on post leaving certificate programmes, receives an allocation of 0.5 of a learning support post. Schools with an enrolment of 600 such pupils and more, receive a full learning support post.

Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a 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. There are a total of 531 remedial-learning support teachers, 689 guidance posts and 1,599 whole-time equivalent resource teachers currently in place. Additional special support services are being made available on an ongoing basis in response to identified needs.

Second level pupils with specific learning disability are normally integrated into mainstream classes. In such situations, they may receive additional tutorial support through the remedial teacher, guidance counsellor and subject teacher. Depending on the degree of the condition, they may also be eligible for special arrangements in the certificate examinations.

In September 2003, my Department established the special education support service, SESS, to manage, co-ordinate and develop a range of supports in response to identified training needs. The SESS, which is hosted in Cork Education Centre, provides a nationwide service to teachers and special needs assistants. As part of its response to the growing demand from teachers for support and training, the SESS is currently developing teams of trainers to deliver training in four specific areas: autism, challenging behaviour, dyslexia and inclusion. This training will be delivered locally through the education centre network.

My Department is continuing to prioritise the development of the network of special educational provision for children with special educational needs, including children with dyslexia and I believe that the steps taken in recent years and those currently in hand represent significant progress in the development of those services.