Written answers

Tuesday, 16 May 2023

Department of Education and Skills

Special Educational Needs

Photo of Aindrias MoynihanAindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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117. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for her consideration in engaging with second level schools that have ASD units to provide specific enrolment policy for their units; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22887/23]

Photo of Norma FoleyNorma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to school admissions, it is the responsibility of the managerial authorities of all schools to implement an enrolment policy in accordance with the Education Act, 1998 and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018.

All schools must publish their admissions policy on the schools website. It is a key requirement of the act that all school admission policies are fair and transparent.

Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the pupil/student should be admitted. This is a requirement for the intake group, any group other than the intake group and for applications after the commencement of the school year.

However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a selection process will be necessary. This selection process and the enrolment policy on which it is based must be non-discriminatory and must be applied fairly in respect of all applicants. However, this may result in some pupils/student not obtaining a place in the school of their first choice.

The act requires schools to clearly set out their selection criteria in their admission policies. Schools have discretion in relation to their admission criteria and how they are applied. The criteria to be applied by schools and the order of priority are a matter for the schools themselves.

My Department is engaging intensely with the NCSE in relation to the forward planning of new special classes and additional special school places. This work involves a detailed review of statistical data in relation to forecasting demand for special class places, consideration of improved data sharing arrangements and a particular focus on the provision of special classes at post-primary level.

As demand for new special classes at post-primary level is expected to increase significantly over the next few years, due to increasing demographics and increasing prevalence rates, my Department and the NCSE have engaged with post-primary stakeholders in relation to the provision of special classes.

In October of last year, my Department wrote to all post-primary schools to advise them of the need to begin planning to provide additional special classes. It is envisaged that all post-primary schools will be required to provide special classes over the next 3 to 5 years, with an approximate average of 4 special classes in each school.

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