Special needs cull 'will hurt vulnerable' [Independent.ie]
- Published: 08 November 2010
HUNDREDS of special needs assistants (SNAs) face losing their jobs under the forthcoming draconian Budget.
The number of SNAs could be cut by up to 5pc -- a move that would affect the country's "most vulnerable" children, according to trade unions and disability groups.
There are more than 10,000 assistants providing one-to-one help to children with special needs in our primary schools.
But the Department of Education is concerned that some SNAs are being used for secretarial support and maintenance duties because the pupil they assisted has now left the school.
As part of its efforts to cut €230m from its €8bn-plus education budget, the department is anxious to weed out the SNAs no longer required in individual schools without wielding the axe across all schools indiscriminately.
"There was an open cheque-book during the boom for this area, but it can't be maintained now," one source said.
Moves to reduce the number of SNAs comes only a year after some 100 special needs classes were removed from the system.
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