Schools braced for special needs cuts [IrishTimes]
- Published: 18 June 2011
SCHOOLS ARE bracing themselves for possible cuts in the number of special needs assistants after a Department of Education report found there had been an “over-allocation’’ of assistants.
As a first step, special needs supports for pupils in junior infants appear vulnerable.
The department pointed out yesterday that special needs supports were allocated to schools in respect of most applications for junior infant pupils for whom behaviour was cited as the core need. This was “despite the fact that schools will not have had much experience of the cited behaviours, nor had an opportunity to take steps to address such behaviour through the recommended NEPS behaviour approach”.
Last night the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation expressed concern at the decision to cut back on special needs supports in junior infant classes. “When a child with special needs does not have those needs met in junior infants, every child starting school is affected,” said a spokesperson.
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