Allocation of special education teachers for next academic year 'wholly inadequate'

A survey of 725 principals shows that 37% of schools report a decrease in their special education teachers, despite the much higher number of children with additional needs.

Primary school principals have warned that the allocation of special education teachers (SETs) for the next academic year is wholly “inadequate”.

A poll by the National Principals' Forum (NPF) has found that 76.4% of principals say allocations for 2024-2025 do not meet the needs for children with additional needs.

The survey of 725 principals shows that 37% of schools have reported a decrease in their SETs, despite evidence that classrooms have a much higher number of children with additional needs than ever before.

Simon Lewis from the National Principals’ Forum said: “The SET allocations are not enough to cover the needs of an overwhelming number of schools in Ireland.

“Despite the rising number of children with anything from special needs to one form of learning support or another, the rise in allocations for the next academic year is less than 1%.”

Mr Lewis, principal of the Carlow Educate Together National School, said that just over 100 of his 430 pupils need some form of learning support.

He has 18 classes, two of which are special classes for autistic children, and he has eight special needs assistants.

Four of them work in the special classes and of his 28 teachers, eight are SETs who work in the mainstream classes, and two teachers work in the special classes.

He added: “We simply cannot cope with the demand for learning support.

“That is not great for teaching staff but, more importantly, it is not in the best interests of our children.

Children who need support or who have complex special needs will regress if they do not get the attention they need at an early stage.

“The current system just is not good enough and nobody seems to be paying a blind bit of attention to a dire issue we have been raising concerns about for years.

“We want the department to ensure adequate and equitable resource allocation, and respect the professional judgement and well-being of school leaders.”