TUI warns schools facing special needs ‘avalanche’

THE second-level school system faces an avalanche of students with special needs but does not have the resources to offer the supports they require, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has claimed.

Since the Government introduced a policy of integrating all children with learning difficulties and physical disabilities in 1997, the numbers of special needs pupils in mainstream primary schools has spiralled. In line with those increases, the Department of Education now has thousands of resource teachers and other staff working specifically with them.

But, according to TUI education and research officer John MacGabhann, the bulk of those children will begin transferring to second level in the next few years.

“We are being told by primary teachers to expect an avalanche of children with special needs. Our concern is that the level of resources is not there and students who need help are waiting long periods to even have those needs assessed,” he said.

A study for the TUI of support services in six VEC schools in Cork found this to be the biggest problem. They reported the highest degree of dissatisfaction with provision of psychological supports to manage disruptive and disengaged students, and provide for their learning needs.

In the report by Dr Pat Naughton of University College Cork’s education department, the principal of one community college in a highly-disadvantaged suburb said there were 24 children waiting for assessment but they could not get resources to help them until these assessments were carried out.

“The biggest lack is the shortage of psychologists and the unavailability of psychological assessments. We are allowed only a handful annually,” the school’s Junior Certificate Schools Programme coordinator said.

One of the biggest difficulties is children with supports at primary school are not automatically entitled to assistance for their special needs when they move to second level. However, it is understood moves to allow the resources transfer with a pupil for the first year may be under consideration by the Department of Education.

Mr MacGabhann said the National Educational Psychological Service must be expanded from the current 122 staff to at least 200 to reduce assessment waiting times, particularly for schools in poorer areas forced to wait months and sometimes years.

“The minister has agreed with us that some schools are cherrypicking the brighter students and leaving other schools to provide for kids with special needs. But she has the power to invoke special education legislation which would oblige a school to accept a child on the recommendation of a special educational needs organiser,” Mr MacGabhann said.

Education Minister Mary Hanafin has said she is reluctant to force schools to enrol students but has asked her officials to examine exactly how big a problem it is.