Schools ‘to lose special needs resources’

NO extra support will be provided for children with common learning disabilities in more than half the country’s primary schools under a Government scheme to improve resources.

Department of Education figures obtained by the Irish Examiner reveal that the equivalent of just 67 extra teaching posts would be created under a system unveiled by former Education Minister Noel Dempsey last June.

Under the plan for next September, every school would be provided with learning support teachers and resource teachers for children with the most common difficulties, depending on the number of pupils.