Special needs assistant care not yet assigned

Children, families and schools could be waiting another fortnight to find out what level of special needs assistant care will be available in September for pupils with care needs.

Despite most of the country’s 3,300 primary schools closing for summer holidays this week, the Department of Education or the National Council for Special Education have been unable to notify them of their allocations yet.

Last year, schools were told of their notifications in the last week of June, and in 2013 the allocations were issued on June 19. Schools must submit application for special needs assistant resources to the council by mid-March, and it advised Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan last week of the numbers needed based on assessment of those applications.

The reason for the delays are unclear, but it could be that the level of special needs assistant support recommended may exceed a government-imposed cap on assistant numbers, and that approval is being sought to sanction more posts.

There are around 11,150 full-time special needs assistant posts sanctioned in schools, which employ around 13,000 people to fill those positions on a full-time or permanent basis, with children allocated set weekly hours of access.

However, the council did not provide requested information on how many pupils they work with, or what level of applications have been received for the next school year.

“We are currently discussing the applications for this year with the Department of Education, who are considering the information,” a council spokesperson said.

The department said final advice on special needs assistant numbers needed for the coming school year was received last week but it did not provide information on demand either.

“The minister will be seeking to confirm allocations to schools over the next 10 days,” she said.

The INTO said the delay has caused unnecessary concern and uncertainty among parents, staff and principals.

“Because of the delay, principal teachers can not plan, staff do not know if they have a job or not, and parents don’t know what level of care support, if any, thier children will have in school. Allowing the school year to end without a response is entirely unacceptable,” said INTO general secretary Sheila Nunan.