Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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373. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the review of career guidance services in schools, higher education institutes and colleges of further education will include special schools; and his plans to provide career guidance to persons of 16 to 18 years of age attending special schools who are not in receipt of the service. [24843/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy that the views of special schools will be included in this review.

The purpose of the review of career guidance is to ensure that we are providing high quality, relevant career guidance information to students from post–primary level up to further and higher education. The review will look at the quality of information available to students and adults in relation to career guidance, the sources of this information and how the system is organised to support students and adults in this area.

The review is being carried out by independent consultants and will be guided and informed by a Steering Group. As part of the consultants proposed methodological approach to the review, my Department invited submissions from all interested stakeholders to assist in shaping the review by highlighting key issues to be considered in the course of carrying out the review. Drawing on the results of the consultation and further consideration by the Steering Group the question of the role and objectives of career guidance in supporting students in special schools will be assessed further. The closing date for receipt of submissions was Friday 1 June 2018.

In relation to career guidance for 16 to 18 year old persons attending special schools, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) for determining the appropriate staffing levels in special schools. Enhanced pupil teacher and Special Needs Assistant (SNA) ratios are provided to special schools to support them in dealing with pupil’s educational and care needs. Special schools are staffed based on their actual current pupil profiles and the disability category of each pupil, as opposed to primarily by school designation, in recognition that many special schools now enrol students from disability categories other than those provided for by their original school designations. This process means that it is for school authorities to determine its staffing requirements in accordance with the requirements of the cohort of students attending the school which includes how best to use that resource to cater for curricular content.