Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

547. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the additional resources that will be provided to schools following the recent announcement that the NCSE would be nominating an 'appropriate person’ to carry out an assessment of educational needs on behalf of the HSE under the AON process; the appropriate qualifications required to carry out an assessment of educational needs on behalf of the HSE; the way in which the statutory duty of the NCSE can be passed onto school principals; if this new policy takes account of the High Court judgement on the child’s rights to an assessment of needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54442/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Assessment of Need (AON) process is provided for under the Disability Act 2005. Assessment Officers under the remit of the HSE are charged with organising the Assessment of Need. The Assessment Officer makes the determination as to whether or not a child or young person meets the definition of disability contained in the Act and the HSE Assessment Officer coordinates and completes the Assessment Report.

Following on from a court ruling in October 2021 there is now a legal obligation on the education system to assistthe HSE as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process (AON).

The Department of Education and NCSE have worked intensively to ensure the process put in place adheres to legal obligations arising from the HSE’s AON process and is one that is rooted in existing good practice in schools. Under the Disability Act (2005) the NCSE is obliged to nominate a personwith appropriate expertise to assist in the education assessment process.

Where the child is enrolled in a school the Education of Persons with Special Education Needs Act (EPSEN) 2004 names the principal as the person the NCSE should contact.

It is important to note that the educational component of the AON process refers to assessment of education needs. Assessment in education is an everyday practice in schools which results in the identification of a child’s education need and the measures required to address these needs.

Identification of education needs, therefore, is central to the way schools operate. Schools provide for the inclusion and participation of all students and provide an education which is appropriate to a student’s abilities and needs.

In that regard, it is important to note that schools routinely identify students’ needs. This is embedded in school practice. This aligns with the obligations on schools arising from the Education Act 1998. They use a range of assessment practices as part of the Continuum of Support process. The Continuum of Support framework enables the school to identify, address and review progress in meeting the academic, social and emotional needs of the pupil, as well as physical, sensory, language and communication needs.

Schools have been provided with a range of resources to ensure that the education needs of all students, including those with a disability or other special education needs, are identified and supported. The Department of Education issued Guidelines for Primary and Post Primary schools (2017) as to how they should identify and provide for the special education and learning needs of students.

Information derived from the schools’ assessments in education are recorded in a ‘Student Support File’. In line with best educational practice, the Student Support file details a student’s education needs as identified by the school. The information contained in the Student Support File is used in completing the educational component of the AON form which is returned to the HSE via the NCSE.

The Department of Education and the NCSE are conscious of the workload on schools and on school leaders and, in that regard, an extensive consultation process on the educational component of the AON was undertaken prior to its introduction. This process involved schools, advocacy groups, management bodies and unions. The Department of Education and the NCSE worked with a small number of schools on a draft of the documents required as part of the HSE’s AON process. The schools provided valuable feedback on the form and guidance documents which was used to inform the documents which have been issued to schools.

The Department of Education and the NCSE have put in place a suite of supports to assist schools in completing the educational component of the HSE’s AON process. These include:

- Detailed guidance,

- Short video for use by schools setting how to comply with the process,

- Email support,

- Dedicated support line – this line is staffed by education professionals who will assist schools in completing the process.

I think it is important to note that this remains a HSE process. The information retained in schools on a student’s education needs, are transferred into a Report Form that will be returned to the HSE to feed into the overall AON process. The education system is assisting the HSE on the educational component only, as part of the HSE’s Assessment of Need Process (AON).

On foot of ongoing engagement the Department and NCSE advised stakeholders last week (27^thOctober) that the trialling process which began earlier this year would continue for the educational component of assessment of need (AON) process which is currently taking place at school level. As is the case of any measure required to comply with legal obligations, the Department engaged with the unions, management bodies and a number of schools prior to the introduction of the trial AON process in schools. Engagement occurred in June to inform unions and management bodies of this process and continued with feedback on the trialling process to stakeholders in September. The Department is committed to ongoing engagement on this process.

This trialling is being led by NCSE and supported by the Department’s Inspectorate and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). The Department and NCSE are satisfied that the information provided as a result of this engagement will meet the requirements as set out in the AON process.

Work will continue with stakeholders to finalise an education focused AON process.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

548. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she has projected demographics of children with additional educational needs for the north Cork area for each of the years 2023 to 2025, in tabular form. [54457/22]

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I would like to thank the Deputy for the question and would like to advise the following:

The NCSE have current data on students attending Special Classes and Special Schools for the area but data relating to future planning for each school’s projected needs would be held locally at the school level.

If there is data that relates to projected demographics of specific diagnoses this may be held by the HSE.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.

For 2022, my Department will spend in excess of €2.3 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing a wide range of schemes and supports for children with special educational needs.

For 2023, this spend will be substantially increased by over 10%, meaning that for 2023 my Department will spend over €2.6 billion on special education.

This level of educational funding and support is unprecedented and represents in excess of 27% of the Department’s total allocation for 2023.

This includes additional teaching and care supports. It also includes funding for the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) for an additional 54 psychologists to provide services to special schools and special classes.

In 2022, funding for an additional 980 teachers and 1,165 special needs assistants was provided. For 2023, the number of teaching and SNA posts in our schools will increase with an additional 686 teachers and a further 1,194 special needs assistants in our schools next year.

For the first time ever we will have over 19,000 teachers working in the area of special education and over 20,000 Special needs assistants. Together we have almost 40,000 qualified and committed people in our schools who are focused wholly and exclusively on supporting children with special educational needs.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide.

In 2023, there will be a significant investment in the expansion of the National Council for Special Education, with a total full-year investment of €13 million, in over 160 additional staff. This investment is being undertaken so that the NSCE can respond effectively, compassionately and quickly to the increased need in our education system so that children and their families are fully supported and achieve the best possible education outcomes.

My Department and the NCSE continue to work very closely in planning for the delivery of new places required to meet forecasted demand.

I am satisfied that this approach is delivering. We have seen 393 new special classes open, bringing the total of special classes to 2,545 opened nationwide for the 2022/23 school-year. The 393 new special classes for 2022/23 is broken down by 260 at primary level and 133 at post primary level.

For 2023, a further 370 special classes will open, taking the total number of special classes to over 2,900 in 2023.

Information on the list of schools with special classes, the types and locations of these classes is published on the NCSE website and is available at www.ncse.ie.

NCSE is continuing to engage with schools regarding the establishment of additional special classes for the next school year 2023/2024. Every support will be made available to schools to progress the opening of special classes in the shortest possible timeframe

It is of course open to any school to engage with the NCSE to establish a special class.

My Department is committed, in conjunction with the NCSE, to continue to work with parents, schools, patrons and all stakeholders to ensure that there are sufficient appropriate places for students with additional needs and to support all students to achieve their potential.

I want to reassure you also that my Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of the necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.