Extra staff to tackle special needs shortfall

SCHOOLS in poorer areas or with male pupils will get more staff to help children with learning disabilities under a system announced by Education Minister Noel Dempsey yesterday.

The formula to provide primary schools with set levels of special needs staff should end up to 18 months of waiting for most of the 7,000 pupils who were assessed as needing extra help at school up to last August.

An estimated one-in-eight primary pupils has a special educational need, according to Department of Education research. But the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) puts the figure nearer to one-in-five and claims 650 more staff are needed to make the system work.