'Resources lack' for special needs move [Examiner]
- Published: 06 April 2009
Thursday, April 02, 2009
[Source: Examiner]
THE integration of pupils with significant learning needs into mainstream classes because their special classes have been cut is not the best solution because there may be a shortage of other resources in schools, an expert has warned.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe announced in February that 128 special classes with 534 pupils with mild general learning disability (MGLD) — significantly below average IQ for their age — would no longer be staffed from next September. The reason was that none of these classes had the nine pupils required for the school to maintain it and the minister insisted the best way for these children to progress was through integration with other pupils.
However, the author of a book outlining research over 18 years on MGLD children has claimed that this policy is only suitable in certain circumstances.
"It is being well progressed in some countries, particularly Sweden and other parts of Scandinavia, where their mainstream classes have far fewer pupils, and they have more supports for children with special needs," said Dr Paul Stevens, who is principal of Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa in Castletownbere, Co Cork.
He is co-author of Inclusion or Illusion, a book published this week detailing the findings of research about special needs education among 900 teachers between 1989 and 2007.
According to a 2003 Department of Education survey, more than 4,500 pupils had MGLD, and children in this category can also have associated issues like speech, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
The work, carried out by Dr Stevens and Professor Mona O'Moore of Trinity College Dublin, shows that the level of integration of children in special classes with mainstream pupils had fallen slightly during the study period. However, he said there needs to be far greater supports in place before the minister's ambition of greater integration can be achieved.
"There needs to be more access to educational psychological services, which are absent from hundreds of schools, as well as greater levels of speech or occupational therapy," he said.
"Most mainstream teachers have little or no special education training and it wouldn't be fair to children to put them into classes of 30 others and expect them to have their special needs met," Dr Stevens said. The minister has insisted teachers will be able to provide for the needs of MGLD children in mainstream classes.
But Dr Stevens said these pupils will now have to receive help from resource teachers, which will mean reduced help for other children with less severe difficulties who are currently being helped by these staff.
The families and teachers of dozens of MGLD pupils in Dublin schools, who are due to lose their special classes, protested outside the Dáil on Tuesday. One mother told the Irish Examiner her only plea to Mr O'Keeffe was to come and sit for 20 minutes in her daughter's special class and then explain how he expects her to cope in a mainstream class of girls who are a couple of years ahead in reading and writing terms.
Pupils face having support with learning English halved [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 02 April 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
SOME 180 pupils are in danger of having their support with learning English halved next year under an education cutback finalised last week.
St Oliver's National School in Killarney has 660 pupils, including 180 of 28 different nationalities, who have help from six language support teachers because their first language is not English. But principal Rory Darcy fears that, with 10 extra children with English as an additional language (EAL) likely to be enrolled next year, the impact will be enormous.
"Under the new staffing arrangements from the Department of Education, we would lose three of those teachers.
"The EAL pupils spend an average 40 minutes a day with them this year, but that could be cut in half from September if our appeal is not successful," he said.
For the past three years, schools have been entitled to a full-time language support teacher for every 14 pupils in this category, capped at six teachers. But Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe announced in the budget last October that he was re-imposing a cap of two language support teachers per school, except for those with very high numbers of EAL students.
Finalised details sent to schools by his department last week set out that schools may keep some of these staff. However, it will be determined not just by EAL student numbers, but also by the number of years they have been receiving this support.
"We had our staff trained earlier this year to assess those needs and they finished the testing, which showed we would still need six language support teachers next year. But now that's being ignored and under the latest rules, we would lose three of them," Mr Darcy said.
"This is going to affect all 700 schools with international pupils, and not just ones with big numbers like ourselves. Because the allocations are weighted on more than numbers, schools with two language support teachers for 30 EAL children this year might not even have one in September," he said.
The circular letter sent to schools last week indicates that schools' international children that make up more than a quarter of all enrolled pupils will be entitled to appeal their allocations.
Mr O'Keeffe's spokesperson said schools can apply based on their assessment of the prospective needs of existing pupils and any new children who will be enrolled for the next school year.
"We envisage having more than 1,400 language support teachers in our schools in September 2009 and up to about 500 other teachers in part-time posts. By any standards, this is a very significant resource and the challenge will be to ensure that it is used to maximum effect," he said.
At the time of the budget, the minister said the language support limits would result in the loss of about 500 jobs.
'Resources lack' for special needs move [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 02 April 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
THE integration of pupils with significant learning needs into mainstream classes because their special classes have been cut is not the best solution because there may be a shortage of other resources in schools, an expert has warned.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe announced in February that 128 special classes with 534 pupils with mild general learning disability (MGLD) — significantly below average IQ for their age — would no longer be staffed from next September. The reason was that none of these classes had the nine pupils required for the school to maintain it and the minister insisted the best way for these children to progress was through integration with other pupils.
However, the author of a book outlining research over 18 years on MGLD children has claimed that this policy is only suitable in certain circumstances.
"It is being well progressed in some countries, particularly Sweden and other parts of Scandinavia, where their mainstream classes have far fewer pupils, and they have more supports for children with special needs," said Dr Paul Stevens, who is principal of Scoil an Chroí Ró Naofa in Castletownbere, Co Cork.
He is co-author of Inclusion or Illusion, a book published this week detailing the findings of research about special needs education among 900 teachers between 1989 and 2007.
According to a 2003 Department of Education survey, more than 4,500 pupils had MGLD, and children in this category can also have associated issues like speech, emotional and behavioural difficulties.
The work, carried out by Dr Stevens and Professor Mona O'Moore of Trinity College Dublin, shows that the level of integration of children in special classes with mainstream pupils had fallen slightly during the study period. However, he said there needs to be far greater supports in place before the minister's ambition of greater integration can be achieved.
"There needs to be more access to educational psychological services, which are absent from hundreds of schools, as well as greater levels of speech or occupational therapy," he said.
"Most mainstream teachers have little or no special education training and it wouldn't be fair to children to put them into classes of 30 others and expect them to have their special needs met," Dr Stevens said. The minister has insisted teachers will be able to provide for the needs of MGLD children in mainstream classes.
But Dr Stevens said these pupils will now have to receive help from resource teachers, which will mean reduced help for other children with less severe difficulties who are currently being helped by these staff.
The families and teachers of dozens of MGLD pupils in Dublin schools, who are due to lose their special classes, protested outside the Dáil on Tuesday. One mother told the Irish Examiner her only plea to Mr O'Keeffe was to come and sit for 20 minutes in her daughter's special class and then explain how he expects her to cope in a mainstream class of girls who are a couple of years ahead in reading and writing terms.
Church issues new child safety pledge[The Kingdom]
- Published: 02 April 2009
Source: The Kingdom
By: Mary Murphy The vetting is part of a major new child protection strategy which was officially launched on Sunday by Bishop Bill Murphy who said all children need protection and care from all those in whose care they are entrusted. A new child protection team established for the diocese includes Fred Garvey, the retired chief garda superintendent for Kerry, who has been appointed safeguarding children trainer. Other key members include chairperson, Fr Gearoid Walsh, Monsignor Dan O'Riordan, Fr John Quinlan, Canon Law specialist Fr George Hayes, retired garda inspector John Murrihy, retired teacher Bridie Cronin, primary school teacher Sheila Goulding, retired detective Mick Smith and Tralee curate Fr Padraig Walsh who has been appointed designated officer for the diocese and will deal directly with any allegations made. The team will also feature a medical doctor, a child psychologist and a solicitor. Over 100 representatives, from 53 parishes across the diocese, were officially commissioned to be part of the extended team at a meeting in Killarney on Sunday. The team appointed by Bishop Murphy will be used to impose strict new protection measures including garda vetting for all adults working with young people, the appointment of child safety representatives in each parish and specialised record keeping, including signed adult consent. Under the new rules, adults must not work in isolation with children or young people during Church activities and if pastoral need requires privacy for a young person, it must be undertaken in what is described as "a transparent and open manner".
ALL child protection complaints, directives and recommendations received by the Diocese of Kerry have been acted on and strict new regulations, including garda vetting for volunteers, will ensure that Kerry children are protected in the future, it has been stressed.
Teachers' body to get beefed-up powers [Irish Examiner]
- Published: 01 April 2009
Source: Irish Examiner
THE power to hold inquiries into teachers who breach conduct rules and remove their authority to work in schools will soon be handed over to the profession's self-regulation body.
Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe told members of the Teaching Council yesterday that he will soon commence the part of the 2001 Teaching Council Act that allows these powers.
The council was formally established three years ago and the main focus of its work to date has been to ensure all qualified teachers are properly registered with it. The number registered now stands at more than 64,000 and the council arranged for more than 6,200 new entrants to the profession to undergo Garda vetting in the past year.
Mr O'Keeffe told council members their role in relation to fitness-to-practise will be of particular importance.
"This will present challenges for the council but I'm confident that you will rise to these and place the interests of the public good and the welfare of our children above all other considerations," he said.
Teaching Council chief executive Áine Lawlor said the move was requested some time ago.
"The council has been preparing for its role in the area of fitness to teach and has researched current practice in other professional bodies in Ireland and in teaching councils in other jurisdictions," she said.
The minister's action will give the council power to take a role in cases of professional misconduct and teaching competence, only after all other avenues are exhausted. New procedures to deal with under-performing teachers were recently agreed by the Department of Education with unions and school managers.
But where matters are not resolved satisfactorily under those procedures, the Teaching Council's investigating committee will have power to hold inquiries into claims of a registered teacher breaching education legislation, engaging in professional misconduct, being registered falsely or fraudulently or medically unfit to teach.
Up to now, less than a handful of teachers are dismissed every year, but greater professional and personal supports are also available in recent years.
The Teaching Council's investigative committee will have power to refer cases to a disciplinary committee, which may remove or suspend someone from the register, effectively meaning they cannot be employed in an Irish school.
It can also decide that a teacher must receive health or professional support in order to stay on the register.
The role of the council will be similar in many respects to that of the Medical Council and An Bord Altranais, as regulators of doctors and nurses respectively.
However, unlike the Medical Council which has mostly non-medical membership, most of the Teaching Council's 37 members are teachers elected by their peers.
