System must do better for children with disabilities

Access to free pre-school for children with disabilities depends on where they live because of inconsistent distribution of resources, reports Education Correspondent Niall Murray

IN the primary and second-level system, the National Council for Special Education has a role to allocate special needs assistants to each school depending on the number of children with disabilities and their individual care needs.

Although questions are regularly raised about the level of support given — particularly as a Government cap remains on SNA numbers despite growing pupil numbers — the policy is set nationally by the Department of Education and implemented by the National Council for Special Education.