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Dáil Debates & Questions
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January 28 2009
Parliamentary Questions
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the degree to which he expects to meet the requirements of children with autism throughout the country in 2010 with particular reference to making the necessary provision regarding facilities and extra teachers; the special need requirements in respect of each category throughout the country; the degree to which it is intended to address this issue in 2010; Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): I wish to assure the Deputy that the provision of appropriate educational intervention and supports for children with special educational needs continues to be a key Government priority. The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that pupils in each disability category can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network. There has been unprecedented investment in providing supports for pupils with special needs in recent years. There are now about 19,000 adults in our schools working solely with pupils with special needs. This includes over 10,000 Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) — compared with just 300 in 1997. There are over 8,000 resource and learning support teachers in our schools compared with just 2,000 in 1998. Over 1,000 other teachers support pupils in our special schools. As well as this significant increase in the numbers of additional teachers and SNAs directly providing appropriate education and care supports for children with special educational needs, much investment has taken place in the provision of teacher training, transport, specialist school accommodation, home tuition, assistive technology and equipment. The Deputy will also be aware that the Renewed Programme for Government commits to the expansion in the number of psychologists employed directly by the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS). This will allow for the assignment of a NEPS psychologist to every primary and post-primary school in the country and for the deepening of support therein with particular emphasis on special needs units, classes and special schools. In relation to autism-specific provision, the Deputy will be aware that the establishment of a network of autism-specific special classes in schools across the country to cater for children with autism has been a key educational priority in recent years. In excess of 380 classes have now been approved at primary and post primary level. An initiative in November 2006 expanded the level of administrative support available to large schools and schools with high numbers of special classes or a specialist autism unit. The measures included the allocation of additional teachers to allow Deputy Principals in mainstream schools that, in addition to their ordinary mainstream class teachers, also have five or more special classes for children with the more complex, low incidence, special needs, to operate as Administrative Deputy Principals. Where a school has a Principal and four or five mainstream class teachers and also has a specialist autism unit established under approval of NCSE, the Principal will be appointed on an administrative basis. My Department will invest further in continuing professional development for teachers of students with special educational needs in 2010 through the Special Education Support Service (SESS). The service consolidates, co-ordinates, develops and delivers a range of professional development initiatives and support structures for school personnel working with students with special educational needs. This service provided training to over 23,000 teachers in 2009. Specifically in relation to autism-specific training, my Department has put in place a training programme for teachers in autism-specific interventions including Treatment and Education of Autistic Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH), Picture Exchange Communications System (PECS) and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) through the SESS. The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating special needs resources to schools to support children with special educational needs. The NCSE will continue to support schools, parents, children and teachers and SNAs will continue to be deployed to schools to meet children’s needs in line with my Department’s policy. I want to take this opportunity to emphasise that children with special educational needs will continue to receive an education appropriate to their needs. I intend to build on the progress that has been achieved in recent years which has seen a huge increase in resources for special needs.
Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which it is intended to address the issue of psychological assessment and speech and language requirements in 2010 in all schools in County Kildare having particular regard to the needs as set down by the various school authorities; Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The Deputy will be aware that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), where schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly. Service to County Kildare is provided by staff in the NEPS Naas office and I can inform the Deputy that over 96% of the counties’ schools have a NEPS psychologist assigned in the current academic year. In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS encourages a staged assessment process, whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention, in consultation with their assigned NEPS psychologist. Only if there is a failure to make reasonable progress in spite of the school’s best efforts, will a child be referred for individual psychological assessment. This system allows the psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention. The deputy will be aware that the provision of speech and language services is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant Health Authority region. In relation to the further development of the NEPS service the Deputy will also be aware of the commitment within the Renewed Programme for Government to an overall expansion of NEPS psychologist numbers to 210, currently NEPS staffing numbers stand at 154. I can inform the Deputy that my Department and the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is currently actively engaging with seven prospective recruits to NEPS, from an existing recruitment panel, for assignment in the immediate future (two in early February). Discussions are ongoing with the PAS in relation to the setting in place of a new recruitment competition to establish a new panel from which the remaining vacancies may be filled. It is envisaged that this new competition will be announced shortly. When formed, recruitment to the service from this new panel will proceed as quickly as possible.
Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the extent to which it is intended to address the issue of psychological assessment and speech and language requirements in 2010 in all schools throughout the country having particular regard to the needs as set down by the various school authorities; Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The Deputy will be aware that all primary and post primary schools have access to psychological assessments either directly through the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), or through the Scheme for Commissioning Psychological Assessments (SCPA), where schools can have an assessment carried out by a member of the panel of private psychologists approved by NEPS, and NEPS will pay the psychologist the fees for this assessment directly. Service is provided by staff in 22 offices nationally and I can inform the Deputy that over 76% of the primary and post-primary schools have a NEPS psychologist assigned in the current academic year. In common with many other psychological services and best international practice, NEPS encourages a staged assessment process, whereby each school takes responsibility for initial assessment, educational planning and remedial intervention, in consultation with their assigned NEPS psychologist. Only if there is a failure to make reasonable progress in spite of the school’s best efforts, will a child be referred for individual psychological assessment. This system allows the psychologists to give early attention to urgent cases and also to help many more children indirectly than could be seen individually. It also ensures that children are not referred unnecessarily for psychological intervention. The deputy will be aware that the provision of speech and language services is a matter, in the first instance, for the relevant Health Authority region. In relation to the further development of the NEPS service the Deputy will also be aware of the commitment within the Renewed Programme for Government to an overall expansion of NEPS psychologist numbers to 210, currently NEPS staffing numbers stand at 154. I can inform the Deputy that my Department and the Public Appointments Service (PAS) is currently actively engaging with seven prospective recruits to NEPS, from an existing recruitment panel, for assignment in the immediate future (two in early February). Discussions are ongoing with the PAS in relation to the setting in place of a new recruitment competition to establish a new panel from which the remaining vacancies may be filled. It is envisaged that this new competition will be announced shortly. When formed, recruitment to the service from this new panel will proceed as quickly as possible. Deputy Joe Costello (L): asked the Minister for Education and Science if the National Council for Special Education has concluded its review of special needs assistants; if he will publish the final report; the number of special needs assistants the review has removed from schools; Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), is at present carrying out a review of Special Needs Assistant (SNA) allocations in all schools. The purpose of this review is to ensure that all SNA posts meet the criteria governing the allocation of such posts, as outlined in my Department’s Circular 07/02. As part of this review, the NCSE will identify and suppress any surplus posts which do not meet the scheme’s criteria — for example, posts that have been retained when a pupil’s care needs have diminished or when the pupil has left. The allocation for any school, and any adjustments to that allocation, depends on a number of factors such as the number of pupils with care/medical needs leaving, the number of new pupils, the changing needs of the pupils and any surplus identified. Furthermore, schools can make applications at any time with the result that the individual situation of any school can change and allocations are not static for a school year in the same way as are, for example, classroom teaching posts. The NCSE is independent in the making and issuing of its decisions relating to SNA allocations. SENOs are communicating the outcome of the review directly to schools as the review progresses. The NCSE has advised that the review will be completed by end March 2010. I will be glad to advise the Deputy of the outcome of the review once it is complete. I wish to assure the Deputy that SNA support will continue to be made available to schools which have enrolled pupils who qualify for such support. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the number of schools here equipped with special autism units; the number and location of schools still awaiting such provision; the extent to which it is expected to meet this requirement in line with submissions received by his Department from the various school authorities; Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The Government is committed to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local special educational needs organisers, for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special educational needs. I attach, for the Deputy’s information, a list provided by the NCSE of schools approved for ASD classes. When a school is approved for an ASD unit, and its existing accommodation does not meet this need, the school may apply to the Department for funding for such accommodation. All such applications are afforded a high priority. I can confirm to the Deputy that all schools establishing new ASD classes in September 2009, and that applied to my Department for funding, were provided with funding to enable them to do so. In some cases, as it was not possible to carry out a major extension to the school in the time available, temporary accommodation was put in place. Major projects involving the provision of ASD facilities are assessed under the prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and, where appropriate, assigned a band 1.2, reflecting the high priority attached to such projects. Consideration is also given to the inclusion of ASD facilities in all new school buildings based on advice from the NCSE. A band rating of 1.2 is assigned not only to ASD units but to special schools and projects with any element of special needs provision. The Department currently has in the order of 75 applications with a band rating of 1.2 and a further 17 such projects in architectural planning. A number of projects with a higher band rating of 1.1, assigned to projects in rapidly developing areas, also include ASD units. The Government is committed to ensuring that all children with special educational needs have access to appropriate facilities and, as such, will continue to prioritise the provision of funding to capital projects providing facilities for such children. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF): asked the Minister for Education and Science if he will reverse the proposed budget cut of 4% to special education initiatives in primary schools. Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): I wish to advise the Deputy that the allocation for 2010 for the special education initiatives subhead reflects the level of expenditure expected under the various initiatives during 2010. The provisional outturn details that the total spend in 2009 on the various initiatives concerned was less than €12 million. The allocation for 2010 exceeds €12 million. Deputy Jim O’Keeffe (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science the terms of the home tuition scheme for children with autism; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the funding for students can be terminated mid academic year; his views on whether it is fair for a child to then be expected to join mainstream school, despite psychological reports that recommend otherwise; Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The Deputy will be aware that the home tuition scheme provides funding to parents to provide education at home for children who, for a number of reasons such as chronic illness, are unable to attend school. The scheme funds tuition for children awaiting a suitable educational placement and also provides funding for early educational intervention for pre-school children with autism where a school-based placement is not available. Information on the scheme including criteria for eligibility for tuition is detailed annually by circular to schools and parents. The circular clearly states that home tuition funding for children awaiting placement, or for children with autism eligible for early intervention, is only provided where a school based placement is not available. The letters of sanction also advise parents/guardians that funding ceases once a school based placement becomes available. My Department encourages parents and school authorities to engage locally with the NCSE regarding children’s education. School placements do become available during the academic year as new classes open, pupils leave or are successfully mainstreamed. Careful planning between the NCSE, school authorities and parents can assist in making a smooth transition from home to school based tuition for the child in question. Deputy Denis Naughten (FG): asked the Minister for Education and Science his plans to review the allocation of special needs assistants; Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Batt O’Keeffe): The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of Special Educational Needs Organisers, is carrying out a review of Special Needs Assistant allocations in all schools with a view to ensuring that the criteria governing the allocation of such posts, as outlined in my Department’s circular 07/02, are properly met. This is an exercise in identifying surplus posts which are in the system and which do not meet the current criteria — posts that have been retained when a pupil’s care needs have diminished or where the pupil has left. Special Educational Needs Organisers are communicating the outcome of the review directly to schools as the review progresses. The allocation for any school and any adjustments to that allocation depends on a number of factors such as the number of pupils with care or medical needs leaving, the number of new pupils, the changing needs of the pupils and any surplus identified.It is expected that the NCSE will have completed the review by the end of March 2010. I assure the Deputy that Special Needs Assistant support will continue to be made available to schools which have enrolled pupils who qualify for such support.
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Inclusion
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