Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 517: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of special needs teachers employed in the primary school system; the criteria for allocating special needs teaching hours to primary schools; the number of special needs teachers employed in the secondary school system; the criteria for allocating special needs teaching hours to secondary schools; and the number of places available for students in the special needs teachers diploma courses in 2008/2009 here. [40580/08]

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

There are currently over 5,800 learning support/resource teachers supporting children with special education needs at primary level. In addition, there are over 1,200 teachers in special schools as well as the many hundreds of teachers in special classes for children with different disabilities.

As the Deputy is aware, my Department implemented a general allocation system of learning support/resource teachers to mainstream primary schools in September 2005. The system provides teaching resources to schools to enable them to cater for children with high-incidence special educational needs such as borderline mild general learning disability, mild general learning disability and specific learning disability.

Primary schools enrolling a child with a low incidence special educational need may apply to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) for additional resource teaching hours. The number of hours is determined by the nature of the special educational need. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

All second level schools in the free education/block grant schemes have an entitlement to an ex-quota teacher allocation in respect of remedial/learning support teaching and guidance provision. Where a pupil with special educational needs enrols in a post primary school, the school may apply to the NCSE for additional teaching support. The number of hours allocated will vary depending on the nature of the special educational need. 2,765 whole time equivalent additional teacher posts are allocated to post primary schools or the 2008/09 school year to support pupils with special educational needs.

The total number of places available on the Special Educational Needs programmes run by the education colleges for the 2008/2009 academic year is 509.