Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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168. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the procedures for an appeal system in respect of the new model for access and support scheme, which is to replace the learning support and resource hours schemes, to take into consideration complex needs cases that require immediate early intervention that have come to light and been verified recently but may not have been taken into consideration when the allocations for the new model for access and support scheme were announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10720/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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On 18th January last, I announced that a new model for allocating Special Education Teaching Resources to mainstream primary and post primary schools will be introduced from September 2017.

The  aim of this new model is to deliver better outcomes for children with special educational needs. Large amounts of research, analysis, consultation with service users and stakeholders, and piloting have gone in to the development of this model and all the evidence points to the fact that this new system will deliver better outcomes for children.

I also announced that an additional 900 teaching posts will be provided to support the introduction of this new allocation model. The provision of an additional 900 teaching posts is a very significant investment in the provision of additional teaching support for pupils with special educational needs in our schools. This is additional to an increase of 41% in the number of resource teachers allocated to schools annually by the NCSE since 2011, when 5265 teachers were allocated, as opposed to provision for 7542 posts in the current school year.

The additional funding will provide additional supports to over 1000 schools who are identified as needing additional supports as a result of the new model. Supports for children with special educational needs is a huge priority for this Government. We currently spend €1.6 billion, or one fifth of the total education budget, on supports for children with special educational needs.

It will ensure that all schools receive a sufficient allocation of special education needs resources to provide additional teaching support to all pupils in their school who require such support. 

Under the new allocation model schools will be provided with total allocation which includes a baseline allocation for the school and an allocation based on the school profile.

The provision of a profiled allocation will give a fairer allocation for each school which recognises that all schools need an allocation for special needs support, but which provides a graduated allocation which takes into account the actual level of need  in each school.

Schools will be frontloaded with resources, based on each school’s profile, to provide supports immediately to those pupils who need it without delay.  This will reduce the administrative burden on schools as schools will no longer have to complete an application process annually and apply for newly enrolled pupils who require resource hours. Children who need support can have that support provided immediately rather than having to wait for a diagnosis.

Schools will therefore no longer have to make applications for newly enrolled pupils for whom resource teaching hours may have been provided under the old model, as schools will now receive a single allocation for all of their special education teaching needs based on their school size and profile.  This includes provision for junior infants who are newly enrolling to the school or pupils who may transfer from another school including children to whom the Deputy has referred.

It should be noted that this is a brand new model of allocation and is not comparable to the existing model. By using a broad range of attainment and socio-economic criteria, it is expected that generally, a school’s profile will remain relatively constant from year to year.  Each year, some students with additional teaching needs will leave and others will enrol, broadly balancing the school profile. Resources allocated under this model will not normally be adjusted between allocations.

The model will, however, allow for some additional provision for exceptional circumstances or where a school’s enrolment levels increase very substantially prior to the next review of the model. The Inclusion Support Service, established under the National Council for Special Education will support schools in managing their special education teaching allocations in the first instance. Only in very exceptional circumstances, where it can be demonstrated that the school’s profile has changed very significantly since the allocation was made to the school, may an additional allocation of hours be made to the school.

A new Circular will be issued to schools in the coming weeks which will provide details of how the scheme will operate while details of the allocations for each school will also be provided to schools.

The NCSE will advise schools of details of how the appeal process will operate in conjunction with the allocations to schools. 

Schools will also be provided with guidance on how to manage their resources to ensure that all pupils who have additional learning needs can be provided with support.