Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 490: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will publish the number of schools in County Cork which will be directly affected by his recent decision to close special needs classes; the number of children affected in each school; the alternative appropriate educational arrangements that will be made for these children; the number of special needs assistants to whom these children have access; the consequence of his announcements for these special needs assistants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7498/09]

Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that all primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources to enable them support pupils with high incidence special educational needs including mild general learning disability (MGLD). All primary schools were given these additional teaching resources under the General Allocation Model of learning support/resource teaching introduced in 2005. Schools can decide how best to use this allocation based on the needs of the pupils. Most pupils with a MGLD are included in ordinary classes with their peers and are supported by their class teacher. The curriculum is flexible so that teachers can cater for the needs of children of different abilities.

The Deputy will be aware that allocations to schools typically increase or decrease depending on pupil enrolment. In the case of classes for MGLD the normal pupil teacher ratio that applies is 11:1. My Department however allows for a small reduction in this number and permits schools to retain a teaching post where it has a minimum of 9 pupils in the class. In the schools in question, the number of pupils dropped below this minimum. These schools therefore are no longer entitled to the teaching posts in these classes.

In 2005 when the General Allocation Model was introduced, schools with additional teachers in classes for MGLD were allowed to retain the teachers for these classes. Effectively, these schools received a double allocation. The number of these special classes has decreased over the years and schools have integrated the children into age-appropriate mainstream classes. All of the other primary schools in the country which do not have classes for children with MGLD cater for these pupils from within the General Allocation Model. The number of schools involved in MGLD classes in County Cork is 6 and the number of pupils therein 26.

Special Needs Assistant (SNAs) posts are allocated to schools to enable them support pupils with disabilities who also have significant care needs. There are a total of 32 SNAs employed in these 6 schools at present to meet the needs of all the enrolled pupils in these schools who have disabilities and who also have additional care needs. Some of these pupils may attend the special classes. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for allocating SNAs to schools to support children with special needs and for reviewing and adjusting the SNA support in the school. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria for allocating these posts.