Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

344. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills what avenues are available for a pupil diagnosed with dyspraxia and dyslexia, currently attending a primary school that is not a feeder school for the desired secondary school, which is within walking distance from the pupil's home and is known to have the necessary facilities and expertise to cater to the pupil's educational need; and the options or special considerations that can be made to accommodate the pupil's enrolment in the desired secondary school. [5803/25]

Michael Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The majority of children with special educational needs, including those with dyslexia, are supported to attend their mainstream local school. This is appropriate as it is generally in the best interest of children to access their local school with their peers unless a more specialist setting is required.

Within the mainstream settings, students are supported by special education teachers and special needs assistants. There are now almost 15,000 special education teachers and over 12,000 SNAs supporting children in mainstream settings. This has also been coupled at primary level with the lowest ever teacher/student ratio of 1:23. This ensures that mainstream education settings are well supported to meet the needs of children with special educational needs such as dyslexia.

Of the 3,336 special classes across primary and post-primary schools which provide for a broad range of needs, fourteen are specifically for children with dyslexia. These classes, historic in their founding, offer intensive intervention in the teaching of literacy skills within a differentiated curriculum to children and young people whose overall ability level is average or above and whose performance in literacy skills, as measured by a standardised test, is at a very low level i.e. under the 2nd percentile.

In addition, there are four special schools which provide for children with the most acute levels of reading difficulties and with a severe presentation of dyslexia. Applications for admission to such schools require a professional report confirming their diagnosis.

Children generally attend these classes/schools for a maximum of two years and then return to their local schools.

For the majority, under an inclusive education system, children with dyslexia and/or dyspraxia are educated in their local schools for the entirety of their education. To ensure each student is supported throughout their educational journey the NCSE provides teachers in mainstream schools with additional training in the area of special education. This is done through the NCSE support service which manages, co-ordinates and develops a range of supports in response to identified teacher training need including Teacher Professional Learning (TPL). In addition, specialist educational supports can be provided by the National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS) where required.

Funding is also made available to schools for the purchase of specialised equipment such as computers and/or software to assist children with special educational needs, including children with a specific learning disability such as dyslexia. This is provided where relevant professionals recommend the equipment as being essential for the provision of education. Schools can apply to the NCSE, through their local special educational needs organiser (SENO) for such support.

This means that no matter where a child is located or which school they choose to enrol they are supported in achieving their educational goals and reaching their full potential.

My department and the NCSE are committed to delivering an education system that is of the highest quality and where every child and young person feels valued and is actively supported and nurtured to reach their full potential.