Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 117: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the action he proposes to ensure that all primary and secondary schools provide places for children who have a learning disability or a special need, such as the children of immigrant families, and so avoid the emerging apartheid culture at present in the school system here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19708/08]

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

The Deputy will be aware of this Government's commitment to ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network. There are now over 19,000 staff in our schools working solely with children with special needs. This includes almost 10,000 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) — compared with just 300 in 1997. There are also over 7,800 resource and learning support teachers — compared with about 2,000 in 1998. More than 1,100 other teachers support children in our special schools, while hundreds more work in special classes.

As well as this significant increase in the numbers of additional teachers and SNAs directly providing appropriate education and care supports for children with special educational needs, much investment has taken place in the provision of transport, specialist school accommodation, home tuition, assistive technology and equipment. Schools are therefore being supported to enable them to cater for children with special educational needs. The provision of appropriate educational intervention and supports for children with special educational needs will continue to be a key Government priority.

To meet the needs of migrant pupils for whom English is a second language, English Language Support Teachers have been appointed to primary and post-primary schools. There are now just under 2,000 language support teachers in the schools at a cost of €120 million per annum. Schools with fewer than the 14 such pupils needed to qualify for one support teacher are provided with financial resources to assist them. The National Council on Curriculum and Assessment has developed Intercultural Guidelines, one for primary schools and one for post-primary schools, to support teachers and schools in developing a more inclusive learning environment and in providing students with the knowledge and skills they need to participate in an intercultural world. There are also resources available specifically for English Language Support Teachers and other resources for the whole school team.

A number of research projects are also underway. The Inspectorate is conducting an evaluation of the provision of English as an Additional Language (EAL) in a number of primary and post-primary schools in 2008 and 2009. A report will be prepared for mid 2009. The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is undertaking a large-scale study into how an increasing diversity of students impacts upon resource requirements and day to day teaching and learning in primary and post-primary schools. It is expected that this review will be completed in autumn 2008. The Department of Education and Science has agreed to become involved in the OECD thematic review of migrant education policy and practice at pre-school, primary and post-primary, which will be carried out by a team of OECD experts. It is expected that the OECD report will be completed by autumn 2009.

The findings of this research work will evaluate current provision and will inform me on ways, where such are indicated, to improve the standard of English language education for migrant pupils in primary and post- primary schools. The Deputy will be aware that it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of schools that are not in a position to admit all pupils seeking entry to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act. In this regard a board of management may find it necessary to restrict enrolment to children from a particular area or a particular age group or, occasionally, on the basis of some other criterion. In formulating an admissions policy a school must, however, ensure it is lawful. In particular, it must act in accordance with section 7 of the Equal Status Act 2000.

Where a Board of Management refuses to enrol a student in a school, the parent of the student or, where the student has reached 18 years of age, the student himself or herself, following the conclusion of any appeal procedures at school level, has a statutory entitlement under section 29 of the Education Act to appeal that decision to the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Science. A committee is established to hear the appeal with hearings conducted with a minimum of formality. In most cases appeals must be dealt with within 30 days. Where appropriate, the Secretary General may give whatever directions to the Board of Management that are considered necessary to remedy the matter complained of.

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) is the statutory agency which can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child. The NEWB can be contacted at National Educational Welfare Board, National Headquarters, 16-22 Green Street, Dublin 7 or by telephone at 01-8738700.

The Deputy may be aware that my Department recently published a report of a major audit of school enrolment practice. The purpose of the audit, conducted by my Department's Regional Office Service, was to examine the disparities that exist in schools in particular locations in relation to the numbers of pupils enrolled who are newcomers, have special educational needs or are from the Traveller community. Over half the primary and second level schools in the country were surveyed under the audit. I should emphasise that the statistical information presented requires cautious interpretation, particularly in the context of local factors that could be identified in many instances at primary level (e.g. a concentration of newcomer or traveller children living in a particular area impacting on enrolment in the nearest school).

When interpreted in that context, the statistical information returned does not point to enrolment problems on a system wide scale. It does, however, identify a number of school clusters where the evidence points to some schools assuming more responsibility for enrolling children of all backgrounds and needs within their local community, than others. In order to ensure that no schools are directly identified and to ensure that "league tables" for particular areas could not be formed, the published information excludes the names and addresses of schools, but groups them within geographical clusters for comparison purposes.

My predecessor has written to the main partners in education setting out some areas for consideration in order to facilitate an informed consultation with the education partners about possible policy measures available to ensure that all schools are welcoming and inclusive to all children of all needs in their own local community. Finally, the Deputy may wish to note that I will host a Conference on the Governance Challenge for Future School Needs on 27th June 2008 in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham to consider the implications of new societal diversity on the future organisation of primary schools. It will be an opportunity for each of the main patron bodies to outline their vision of how the system needs to collectively evolve to respond to the changing circumstances.

The Conference will focus on the particular challenges of ethos and inclusion for patron bodies, under both the new and existing patronage models, in ensuring that the system is appropriately attuned to future demands. The long term challenges of organising and developing our system of school governance to accommodate new parental demands and aspirations will be subject to consideration. The Conference will also deal with issues of capacity, choice, ensuring inclusion and the implications for enrolment policies.