Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of teacher training graduates who have completed a special educational needs component in their initial teacher training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18952/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Programmes of initial teacher education (ITE) were reconfigured and extended in line with the Teaching Council’s Initial Teacher Education: Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers andthe changes to ITE proposed in the National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Children and Young People 2011-2020. Under the reconfigured model, inclusive education, including special education, is a mandatory area of study for all student teachers who are undertaking ITE programmes at primary and post-primary levels.

The first graduates of the lengthened and reconfigured programmes were in 2016. It is estimated that there were c. 3,400 graduates from the primary and post-primary programmes of Initial Teacher Education in 2017 with a similar number expected to graduate in 2018.

The Deputy should note also that my Department annually funds post-graduate programmes for approximately 400 teachers involved in Learning Support and special education.