Primary school management bodies Educate Together, An Foras Pátrúnachta, National Association of Boards of Management in Special Education (NABMSE) and the Muslim Primary Education Board, supported by the Irish Primary Principals’ Network (IPPN) are today issuing a joint statement regarding teaching supports for children with additional needs in Irish schools.
The representative bodies note the publication last week of the Department of Education’s staffing schedule for primary schools for the 2021/22 school year and information provided to schools regarding their Special Education Teacher (SET) allocation. In particular, they note that the Department intends to maintain the existing Special Education Teacher allocations for all schools for the 2021/22 school year and will not now conduct a re-profiling exercise in 2021 as was originally planned.
School management organisations have expressed serious concern about the impact this will have on children in developing schools, who they believe will suffer from a lack of sufficient Special Education Teaching supports in developing schools in the 2021/22 school year.
They are writing to the Department of Education to outline the need for increased resources to ensure that children with additional needs who attend developing schools receive the supports they need in this very challenging year. The group is also seeking a meeting with Department officials on the issue.
Speaking on this issue, Emer Nowlan said:
“This is an issue for developing schools in all parts of the country. Pupils need more supports this year, not less, and it is imperative that additional resources are allocated for this September so that all pupils with additional needs have the supports they need, regardless of the type of school they attend.”
Alan Sheehan, principal of Rochestown ETNS commented:
“Our school prides itself on being inclusive but we are currently unable to support the needs of our pupils as we are chronically understaffed. A similar sized school across the road from us has seven Special Education Teachers. We have four. We are effectively half-staffed in the area of Special Education solely due to the fact that we are a rapidly developing new school. This limited SET staffing ultimately negatively impacts our ability to support all children in our school. This cannot continue any longer.”
The needs of the most vulnerable children in our school system must be met in an appropriate, effective and timely manner. Primary management organisations are committed to working closely with the Department of Education to achieve this shared goal.
Imní léirithe ag comhlachtaí ionadaíocha bunscoile maidir le leithdháiltí tacaíochta do leanaí a bhfuil riachtanais bhreise acu
Tá comhlachtaí bainistíochta bunscoile An Foras Pátrúnachta, Cumann Náisiúnta na mBord Bainistíochta san Oideachas Speisialta (NABMSE), Educate Together, agus an Bord um Oideachas Bunscoile Moslamach, le tacaíocht ó Líonra Phríomhoidí Bunscoile na hÉireann (IPPN) ag eisiúint comhráiteas inniu maidir le tacaíochtaí teagaisc i scoileanna na hÉireann do leanaí a bhfuil riachtanais bhreise acu.
Díríonn na comhlachtaí ionadaíocha aird ar na Socruithe soláthar foirne i mBunscoileanna don scoilbhliain 2021/22 a d’fhoilsigh an Roinn Oideachais le linn na seachtaine seo agus faisnéis a cuireadh ar fáil do scoileanna maidir lena leithdháileadh Múinteoirí Oideachais Speisialta (SET). Tugann siad dá n-aire go háirithe go bhfuil sé i gceist ag an Roinn na leithdháiltí Múinteoirí Oideachais Speisialta reatha a choinneáil do gach scoil don scoilbhliain 2021/22 agus nach rachaidh sí anois i mbun athphróifílithe in 2021 mar a bhí beartaithe ar dtús.
Tá imní mhór léirithe ag eagraíochtaí bainistíochta scoile faoin tionchar a bheidh aige seo ar leanaí i scoileanna atá ag forbairt, agus creideann siad go mbeidh faillí á déanamh ar na leanaí sin de bharr easpa tacaíochtaí Teagaisc Oideachais Speisialta i scoileanna atá ag forbairt don scoilbhliain 2021/22.
Tá siad ag scríobh chuig an Roinn Oideachais chun cuntas a thabhairt ar an ngá atá le hacmhainní méadaithe chun a chinntiú go bhfaighidh leanaí a bhfuil riachtanais bhreise acu agus a fhreastalaíonn ar scoileanna atá ag forbairt na tacaíochtaí a theastaíonn uathu sa bhliain an-dúshlánach seo. Tá an grúpa ag lorg cruinnithe le hoifigigh na Roinne ar an gceist freisin.
Ag labhairt ar an gceist seo dúirt Caoimhín Ó hEaghra:
‘’Go bhfuil gá le hathbhreithniú ar an gcóras chun cinntiú nach bhfuil daltaí thíos leis de bharr an leithdhéaileadh. An céad chéim atá le tógáil ná acmhainní breise a sholáthar do na scoileanna do Mhean Fómhair.’’
Dúirt Emer Nowlan, maidir leis an gceist:
“This is an issue for developing schools in all parts of the country. Pupils need more supports this year, not less, and it is imperative that additional resources are allocated for this September so that all pupils with additional needs have the supports they need, regardless of the type of school they attend.”
Caithfear freastal ar riachtanais na leanaí is leochailí inár gcóras scoile ar bhealach iomchuí, éifeachtach agus tráthúil. Tá eagraíochtaí bainistíochta bunscoile tiomanta do bheith ag obair go dlúth leis an Roinn Oideachais chun an aidhm chomhroinnte seo a bhaint amach.
