Written answers

Thursday, 26 January 2012

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs

5:00 pm

Photo of Dominic HanniganDominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the impact that the new class size ratio and learning support staff ratios will have on a school (details supplied); his plans regarding the clustering of learning support and resource teachers in rural areas to prevent the situation in which learning support and resource teachers are spending a large amount of time travelling between schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4489/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The new simplified approach to the General Allocation Model of support for schools will make it easier to automatically update it annually in line with the changes in the number of classroom teachers in each school. Schools will also have autonomy on how to deploy the resource between language support and learning support depending on their specific needs.

The arrangements for the staffing allocation under the General Allocation Model (GAM) are specifically designed to facilitate GAM hours being clustered into full-time posts – either entirely within their own school or with a nearby neighbouring school. The new GAM allocations are being done in five-hour blocks which is the equivalent of the tuition time for a full school day. Teachers that are in shared posts between schools can therefore operate local arrangements that enable their travel to a neighbouring school to be done, where possible, from the start of the school day thus avoiding loss of tuition time.

As part of the reforms to the teacher allocation process existing posts will be used to put in place a network of about 2,450 full-time resource posts in over 1,600 base schools throughout the country that will be allocated on a permanent basis. This approach builds on the interim arrangements that operated in 2011 but in a more structured and transparent manner. The annual changes in resource hours at individual school level will only affect where the teacher is working on any one day – not whether the base school continues to host the full-time post. This approach will introduce a greater constancy in the context of the annual allocations and redeployment process.

The teachers in these full-time resource posts will undertake NCSE approved (low incidence) resource hours in the base schools or in neighbouring schools. Schools are typically notified of their NCSE approved resource hours in the late Spring/early Summer period but also throughout the school year. Through his/her role in allocating resources the local SENO will have an oversight role in relation to the sharing arrangements between schools so that they can operate as efficiently as possible and any time loss due to travel between schools can be kept to a minimum. Schools that are unable to access their NCSE approved resource hours from this network of full-time resource posts will be allocated mainly part-time temporary posts.

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that the right to education is vindicated in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan. [4508/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is responsible for processing applications from primary and post primary schools for special educational needs supports. This includes the allocation of resource teaching hours to schools as well as the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required and the discontinuation of such classes where the need no longer exists.

The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such supports. Second level schools which have enrolled pupils with an assessed special educational need are allocated additional resource teaching support on the basis of the pupil's special educational needs. Another specific function of the SENO is to identify appropriate educational placements for children with special educational needs. SENOs are a valuable source of support to parents who are actively sourcing a placement for their children. It is open to parents to contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

The National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB), which was established under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, is charged with ensuring each child attends a recognised school or otherwise receives a certain minimum education. The Act provides a comprehensive framework promoting regular school attendance and tackling the problems of absenteeism and early school leaving. While responsibility for the National Educational Welfare Board has transferred to my colleague, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the two Departments are working together to ensure the services in the NEWB, including the School Completion Programme, Home School Community Liaison and the Education Welfare Service have a renewed focus to more effectively target and support all children at risk.

Photo of Caoimhghín Ó CaoláinCaoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the further steps he will take to implement in full the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4511/12]

Photo of Ruairi QuinnRuairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Deputy will be aware that a number of sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act have already been commenced. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) made recommendations which suggested that additional investment over a period of years of up to €235 million per annum, across the education and health sectors, would be required to fully implement the EPSEN Act.

My Department's opinion is that the level of investment required would be greater than that envisaged in the NCSE report. In the light of the very difficult economic situation, and these significant costs, the previous Government deferred the full implementation of EPSEN. Given the costs involved and current fiscal constraints, addressing this issue will be very challenging. I will consider how we can develop a plan to implement the objectives of the EPSEN Act so as to deliver improved educational outcomes for students with special needs.

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