Written answers

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Department of Education and Skills

School Enrolments

Photo of John McGuinnessJohn McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

577. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will examine the case of a child (details supplied) in County Carlow; if the appropriate supports will be put in place at one of the local schools to accommodate the child; if she will examine the correspondence sent to her office outlining the case, with a view to dealing positively with the request, in view of the fact that the local special education needs organiser has refused to meet the child's parents; and if she will expedite a resolution to the issue. [12962/15]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I wish to advise the Deputy that the enrolment of a child to a school is a matter in the first instance for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools.

The Deputy will be aware that a range of placement options for pupils with special educational needs, including autism, is provided, in order to ensure that all pupils can receive a school placement. Many pupils with special educational needs will be able to attend a local mainstream school, whereas for pupils who have needs which require more specialist interventions, special class and special school placements are provided for.

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, including the establishment of special classes in various geographical areas as required. The NCSE operates within my Department's criteria in allocating such support.

Parents may contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs and to seek assistance in identifying placement options, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.

The NCSE have advised that SENOs are, at all times, available to parents to discuss their child's special educational needs.

In primary schools, additional teaching supports for pupils with special education needs are provided through two channels.

Under the terms of the General Allocation Model (GAM) of teaching supports, schools are resourced to cater for pupils whose educational psychological assessment places them in the high incidence, or less complex, disability category. All mainstream Primary schools have been allocated additional teaching resources under the GAM to cater for children with high incidence special educational needs.

Separately, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) allocates additional resource teaching hours to schools for children who have been assessed within the low incidence, or more complex, category of special need, as defined by my Department's Circular Sp Ed 02/05. The NCSE operates within my Department's established criteria for the allocation of Special Education supports and the staffing resources available to my Department.

As the Deputy has raised a particular issue in relation to the provision of support to an individual child by the NCSE, I have arranged for the matter raised in relation to the child referred to by the Deputy to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply to the Deputy.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.