Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 103: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of psychologists who will be employed to work with specialist behaviour classes at second level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40211/06]

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

At the core of the recommendations of the Task Force on Student Behaviour was the establishment of a Behaviour Support Team. The purpose of this Team was envisaged as helping identify problems of student behaviour in second-level schools, leading to the development of strategies to resolve these problems and to facilitate the implementation of these strategies in practice.

When launching the Report of the Task Force on Student Behaviour, I indicated my agreement to the establishment of this Behaviour Support Team which I regarded as a priority for my Department. Since then, and over a short time-scale, a National Behaviour Support Service (NBSS) has been established which is based in Navan Education Centre. A multi-disciplinary professional team has been recruited and appointed to the NBSS which consists of a National Co-ordinator, four Assistant National Co-ordinators, eight Regional Development Officers and twenty part-time Associates. In addition, a senior psychologist and three psychologists have been assigned to the team. A full-time administrator is based in Navan Education Centre.

Since their appointment, the team has been working on a number of key issues:

1. The development of a Draft National Framework for Behaviour Improvement.

2. The development of models of good practice for systems in schools which assist with and impact on classroom and whole school behaviour.

3. On-going training for the NBSS team.

4. Research into and communication with behaviour support systems in other jurisdictions.

The NBSS has just commenced its engagement with schools and a series of information seminars have been organised throughout the country.