IPPN

Last Updated: Friday, 30 April 2010 14:05

The claim by the Department of Education and Skills that special education has been spared the full brunt of the recent cutbacks is not believable, as it does not reflect the reality on the ground claim the Irish Primary Principals' Network (IPPN).

‘There are approximately 55,000 additional children in the primary system since 2003.  Since then, the number of children requiring special education has increased by up to 150%.  Enrolment in these schools continues to grow, but their allocation of resource teachers remains fixed at 2003 levels.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to serve the needs of children with significant learning difficulties, if the resources are not allowed to expand in-line with pupil numbers’ stated IPPN President, Pat Goff.

In 2003, the Department of Education & Science agreed on the ratios and levels of support that each individual school was entitled to avail of to meet the demands and requirements of children with learning difficulties.  The initiative known as the Special Education Needs (SEN) General Allocation Model became operational in 2005.  A review of the model was carried out in 2008, but the findings have not been published.

‘The failure to publish this report suggests that the under resourcing of SEN is a reality and, it weakens the Department’s claim that special needs education has been spared the full brunt of cuts in the education sector.  Stretching existing resources more thinly to cater for extra numbers is in effect a cut in service’ continued Mr Goff. 

IPPN Director, Seán Cottrell added that the Department of Education & Skills is not abiding by its own guidelines and called on Minister Coughlan to publish the review report as a matter of urgency.

‘The longer the Department of Education & Skills delays publishing the report on the review of the SEN General Allocation Model, the longer children with significant learning difficulties in primary schools will be denied the level of resourcing which the DES itself set down as standard in 2003.  They set the ratios, the percentages and the standards based on the numbers in schools in 2003.  With 55,000 more children in the system, those ratios are now obsolete’ said Seán Cottrell. 

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