Two-year wait on new model for resource teachers

Schools and children face at least two more years waiting for a new way of allocating resource teachers for children with special educational needs, Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has told the Dáil.

Last week, he got a progress report from the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on its working group set up in June to put forward a new method for giving supports that would recognise the needs of each school without pupils depending on long waits for psychological or other assessments.

Mr Quinn said there were wide consultations taking place with various interested groups, but it was never intended that the report would be finalised and given to him until next Easter.