Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 510: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide parents of autistic children in receipt of Department funded home tuition with a list of suitably qualified teachers in their locality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3600/07]

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

As the Deputy is aware the home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme was extended in recent years to facilitate tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement.

Having reviewed a number of applications for home tuition, details regarding the qualifications of some of the proposed tuition providers gave rise to concern. The Deputy will appreciate, that as home tuition takes place outside of the normal school framework, there is need to ensure that tuition providers are appropriately qualified to give education to the children concerned. The usual requirement is a fully qualified teacher. However, other qualifications are acceptable depending on the individual needs of the child. A comprehensive review of qualifications has taken place in consultation with my Department's Inspectorate resulting in a definitive list of qualifications acceptable under the scheme as appropriate to the individual pupils. In this context the clarity that now exists in relation to qualifications should assist the parents concerned in sourcing suitable tutors. My Department has no current plans to compile a data base of tuition providers with acceptable qualifications.