Plans for resource to allocate teachers welcomed

Plans for a new way to allocate resource teachers from next autumn are welcome, but must be matched by a reversal of previous cuts, say parents of children with special needs.

Under a pilot scheme being run this year, some schools are allocated additional teaching time based on a range of factors other than simply their pupils’ categorised disability or educational need.

Education Minister Richard Bruton announced in his 2017 budget that he plans to extend the system to all schools, aided by 580 extra resource teachers at primary and 320 at second-level.