IPPN

Last Updated: Friday, 18 August 2023 15:00

Primary school management bodies Educate Together, An Foras Pátrúnachta, National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education (NABMSE) and the Muslim Primary Education Board, supported by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) are today issuing a joint statement regarding teaching supports for children with additional needs in Irish schools.

The representative bodies note the publication last week of the Department of Education's staffing schedule for primary schools for the 2021/22 school year and information provided to schools regarding their Special Education Teacher (SET) allocation. In particular, they note that the Department intends to maintain the existing Special Education Teacher allocations for all schools for the 2021/22 school year and will not now conduct a re-profiling exercise in 2021 as was originally planned.

 

School management organisations have expressed serious concern about the impact this will have on children in developing schools, who they believe will suffer from a lack of sufficient Special Education Teaching supports in developing schools in the 2021/22 school year.

They are writing to the Department of Education to outline the need for increased resources to ensure that children with additional needs who attend developing schools receive the supports they need in this very challenging year. The group is also seeking a meeting with Department officials on the issue.

Speaking on this issue, Emer Nowlan said:

“This is an issue for developing schools in all parts of the country. Pupils need more supports this year, not less, and it is imperative that additional resources are allocated for this September so that all pupils with additional needs have the supports they need, regardless of the type of school they attend.”

Alan Sheehan, principal of Rochestown ETNS commented:

“Our school prides itself on being inclusive but we are currently unable to support the needs of our pupils as we are chronically understaffed. A similar sized school across the road from us has seven Special Education Teachers. We have four. We are effectively half-staffed in the area of Special Education solely due to the fact that we are a rapidly developing new school. This limited SET staffing ultimately negatively impacts our ability to support all children in our school. This cannot continue any longer.”

The needs of the most vulnerable children in our school system must be met in an appropriate, effective and timely manner. Primary management organisations are committed to working closely with the Department of Education to achieve this shared goal.

ENDS

(Published 29th March 2021)