More resource teachers but hours still reduced

An extra 600 resource teachers will help meet growing demand for supports for children with special needs in September but they will still only get 85% of recommended hours.

The National Council for Special Education has notified schools of the 5,902 resource teaching posts it has sanctioned for next term. It is an increase from 5,721 currently allocated, and 617 more than the number at the beginning of this school year.

However, the increase is in response to rising demand and Department of Education limits on numbers mean the pupils they work with will not get the full weekly hours recommended in its own 2005 rules for the scheme.

For the second successive year, children who qualify for resource teaching will get 15% less than recommended. The reduction that could have been 25% but for a public and political outcry when the cut was highlighted by the Irish Examiner last summer.

It means a child with hearing impairment or specific speech and language disorder loses over half an hour of the four hours a week recommended.

The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation said the announcement almost a month earlier than last year will allow schools time to plan staffing for the autumn, and welcomed provision for additional teachers to meet further additional demand. However, it is still demanding the restoration of resource teaching provision to levels prior to 2011.

“Increasing enrolments in primary schools along with more and better assessment of special need has resulted in more children with special needs in schools. In two of the three previous years the level of resource teaching was retained at existing levels, an effective cutback in provision for pupils, given increased enrolments,” said an INTO spokesperson.

The NCSE said the level of resource teaching supports for the coming school year has been protected and there has been no change to policy. Its chief executive, Teresa Griffin, welcomed ongoing commitment by the Government to meeting the special educational needs of children.

Resource teachers work with children with autism, emotional disturbance, physical disabilities, visual or hearing impairment, while learning support staff work with primary pupils with dyslexia, dyspraxia or other learning difficulties.

The number of resource teachers the NCSE can allocate schools has risen by almost 1,000, or 18%, since 2012/13.