One in four secondary pupils have special need

Almost a quarter of all secondary schools have a special needs class, according to a study which says there is often a lack of awareness about the necessary criteria for establishing them.

A joint report by the ESRI and the National Council for Special Education, found that special education has become a major component of the mainstream system, with one in four students in mainstream schools having a special educational need.

The special education budget is now 15% of the total Department of Education budget, but the survey found that principals varied widely in their attitudes towards, and provision of, special classes.