John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the requirements placed on teachers at primary school level to train or qualify in the education of children with autism spectrum disorder in advance of qualifying as teachers and in advance of teaching children with autism in view of the numbers of children with autism in Dublin; and the number of primary and post-primary school teachers that hold qualifications specifically aimed at the education of such children. [49045/18]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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246. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the modules in place in teacher training colleges taken by student teachers with regard to the provision of the special educational requirements of children on the autism spectrum. [49079/18]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 246 together.

The Teaching Council is the statutory body with responsibility for professional standards and regulation of the teaching profession. Under Section 38 of the Teaching Council Act, all initial teacher education programmes are subject to review and accreditation by the Teaching Council, in accordance with the Criteria and Guidelines for Programme Providers (published in 2011 and revised in March 2017). In accordance with these Criteria and Guidelines, inclusive education is a mandatory component for all students in ITE. Inclusive education encompasses education of children with special educational needs, including autism.

The learning outcomes of ITE programmes also reflect the need for the teacher to be able to conduct a systematic, holistic assessment of learner needs; to apply knowledge of the individual potential of students, their disposition towards learning and their backgrounds, identities and learning styles to their teaching; to set clear, challenging and achievable expectations for pupils; to evaluate learner progress; to act as an advocate for students, referring students for educational support as required and participating in the provision of that support, amongst other relevant outcomes.

The Teaching Council is currently carrying out a review of the impact of the current programmes, with a view to amending the Criteria and Guidelines before the next round of accreditation commences in 2020.

A recently published report from the National Council for Special Education on Initial Teacher Education for Inclusion: Phase 1 and 2(NCSE Research Report No. 26), found that there is in general much good practice related to inclusive education in ITE, particularly in relation to the fostering of positive attitudes to inclusion, while also noting scope for further alignment between theory and practice, in particular as between student placement and the university experience. These findings will be considered by the Teaching Council in the course of its work.

There are also a range of in-service professional development supports provided to teachers by the Department. Since March 2017, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) Support Service, has a remit to develop schools’ capacity to include students with special educational needs and to promote a continuum of educational provision which is inclusive and responsive.

The role of the NCSE Support Service includes enhancing the quality of learning and teaching in relation to special educational provision. The service co-ordinates, develops and delivers a range of professional development initiatives and support structures for school personnel working with students with special educational needs in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, special schools and special classes.

In addition to the above, the Department provides funding support for teachers to expand their capacity through courses at the Middletown Centre for Autism and through funded post-graduate provision at a number of higher education institutions for teachers involved in Learning Support & Special Education.