Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 428: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the rationale employed by him in ensuring that there is not an automatic transfer from primary to post-primary education of education resources and with a proper assessment for children with special needs; the reason he ensures that a child with special needs on leaving primary education has to be reassessed before resources can follow that child in post-primary education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19752/08]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special needs supports on the basis of applications in respect of individual pupils. The SENOs operate within the policy outlined in my Department's circulars for allocating such support.

Each SENO works in an assigned local area with parents, schools, teachers, psychologists, health professionals and other staff who are involved in the provision of services in that area for children with special educational needs. All schools have contact details of their local SENO. It is also open to parents to contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, including issues that arise in relation to transition from primary to post-primary level, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

When a child in primary school has been in receipt of additional resource teaching and other educational resources, it is appropriate that these supports should be reviewed by the NCSE at the end of the primary school cycle. Where children are in receipt of additional resources in primary school, it is the responsibility of the post primary school to which they have enrolled to submit an application to the local SENO, prior to the child's transfer, seeking the supports required for the child in post primary school.

Such applications should be accompanied by any relevant assessment and attainment information, including information on the child's educational progress. Resources will then be made available by the NCSE to the school at the appropriate level and in a speedy manner taking into account the resources that may already be available within the school. The NCSE issues specific guidelines to schools in this regard each year.