Delays in support for pupils with learning difficulties

CHILDREN with severe learning difficulties face delays getting vital teaching supports due to a staffing review ordered by the Department of Education.

It has asked the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to halt sanctioning resource teaching hours for pupils with more complex learning difficulties while it assesses numbers appointed this year.

All primary schools get a certain number of resource teachers to work with pupils who have common learning difficulties but the NCSE has to approve additional posts for children with more difficult learning problems.

The supports do not automatically follow students when they move to second level, so further sanction is required for children.

The department is seeking information from the NCSE on the number of applications it has from schools for additional resource teaching and the numbers already sanctioned.

The department is concerned because the number of resource teachers already sanctioned is higher than expected and if it continues it could lead to a breach of the projection of overall teacher numbers given to the Government as part of the EU/IMF bailout.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation has objected to the expected delay in appointments and is seeking an urgent meeting with the department. The Teachers’ Union of Ireland warned that delays could mean some second-level schools are unable to accommodate students with special needs as the extra teachers are needed to help integrate them.

However, the Department of Education has said the suspension of posts being sanctioned was temporary. It also said the 9,950 resource teachers it has budgeted for this year are 350 more than in the last school year.

It is also understood that there is scope for the department to seek Government approval for an exception to the staffing limits if they are in danger of being breached.

But the Joint Managerial Body (JMB), which represents the boards of almost 400 secondary schools, said any child assessed as needing support should have it in place from the day they begin first year in September.