Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 198: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the reason the draft national plan to improve literacy and numeracy in schools does not contain any discussion on proposals to raise the literacy standards of children with sensory or physical disabilities; the measures she is taking to increase the literacy standards of these children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1357/11]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The measures proposed in the Draft National Plan to Improve Literacy and Numeracy in Schools are intended to improve the literacy standards of all students, including those with special needs and learning difficulties. The strategy places particular emphasis on a whole school approach to promoting literacy and numeracy, setting out a range of actions relating to curriculum and assessment, school leadership, planning and review, parental engagement, and providing for comprehensive professional development of teachers.

A key priority for the Government over the past decade has been to improve the provision of additional resources for all pupils with special educational needs (SEN), including those with sensory and/or physical disabilities. The measures include a general allocation model at primary level which ensures that all schools have have additional teaching resources in place to meet the learning support needs of students with high incidence special educational needs and learning support needs, including those experiencing difficulty with literacy and numeracy. An ex quota provision for learning support and guidance in all post primary schools in the free education/block grant schemes. Additional teaching supports allocated as necessary by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to support children with low incidence special educational needs, including pupils with sensory/physical disabilities. Over 5,500 pupils with sensory and/or physical disabilities were allocated additional teaching support by the NCSE in the 2009/10 school year. 21 special schools/classes with lower pupil: teacher ratios of between 6:1 and 10:1 for pupils with Hearing Impairment or sensory or physical disabilities.

A Special Education Support Service (SESS) provides access to a range of professional development programmes for teachers of pupils with special needs, providing for in-school support, individualised teacher support, direct provision of courses and access to on-line programmes offered by the Institute of Child Education and Psychology Europe. This is supplemented by post graduate programmes for teachers available on an inservice basis in Learning Support and Special Education offered in the universities and colleges of education. These courses include a strong focus on literacy and numeracy. A visiting teacher service for visual and hearing impairment provides teaching support for children and specialist advice to schools, teachers and parents.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has produced a comprehensive set of guidelines for teachers at primary and post primary level on supporting the needs of needs of students with general learning disabilities across a range of subjects, including communications and language and mathematics. This is supplemented by professional development programmes in ICT and advice provided by the National Centre for Technology in Education on the use of assistive technology for students with disabilities, including students who are deaf or hard of hearing, have a visual impairment or a physical disability.

Schools and parents are supported by the National Council for Special Education through its network of over 80 local Special Educational Needs Organisers. Support is also provided to schools through my Department's National Educational Psychological Service. Schools without an assigned NEPS psychologist can avail of the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments.

In 2010 my Department provided approximately €1.8m to schools to purchase assistive technology and/or specialist equipment required to support pupils who have been assessed as having a special educational need, including pupils with sensory/physical disabilities.

My Department also provides funding (€1.28m in 2010) to the National Braille Production Centre (NBPC) who provide visually impaired pupils at first and second level with textbooks in Braille and audio format. There were 489 clients registered with the NBPC in 2010.

I have invited submissions from interested parties on the Draft National Plan by 31 January 2011.