INCA Education around the world
Ireland : Internal school organisation
4 Internal school organisation
For information regarding internal school organisation in mainstream schools in Ireland see sections:
4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3, 4.1.4 (pre-school education)
4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4 (primary-level education)
4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3, 4.3.4 (compulsory secondary-level education)
4.4.1, 4.4.2, 4.4.3, 4.4.4 (post-compulsory upper secondary education)
of the mainstream Ireland Archive, in addition.
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4.5 SPECIAL PUBLICLY-FUNDED PROVISION WITHIN OR OUTSIDE MAINSTREAM EDUCATION THAT IS, PROVISION FOR STUDENTS WITH PARTICULAR NEEDS SUCH AS THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, LEARNING DIFFICULTIES, HIGH ABILITY, BEHAVIOURAL DIFFICULTIES, OR THOSE FROM PARTICULAR ETHNIC GROUPS OR TRAVELLER COMMUNITIES.|
[SEE 3.2.5] |
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4.5.1 ORGANISATION OF TEACHING GROUPS __________________________________________________ |
4.5.1 ORGANISATION OF TEACHING GROUPS
See sections 4.5.3 and 4.5.4 below in addition.
Special schools
Special schools are organised in a different way from mainstream schools. Almost all cater for students aged 4+ to 18, and only the larger schools can organise classes according to the age of the student only. Classes in most special schools cater for a considerably wider range of students than that which is found in many mainstream schools. In addition, student populations in special schools are not homogeneous, and there can be a wide spread in levels of functioning and potential, including multiple disabilities, in any given class.83
4.5.2 STUDENT PROGRESSION THROUGH SPECIAL PROVISION
Special schoolsSee section 4.5.1 above.
4.5.3 CLASS SIZE
Special classes and special schools generally operate at significantly reduced student:teacher ratios,4 and most special schools have fewer than 200 children.5In special schools, and in special classes, for students with mild general learning disability, for example (for the definition of mild general learning disability in Ireland, see section 2.1.4), the student:teacher ratio is 11:1.5
For children with autistic spectrum disorders, the Department of Education and Science (DES) aims to provide special teaching classes with a 6:1 student:teacher ratio. The DES also intends that each group of six students should have a childcare assistant in addition.13
Children with severe and profound general learning disability are placed in classes with a student:teacher ratio of 6:1. Under the Education Act (1998)1, such classes also have an entitlement to two childcare assistants per class of six children.13
#4.5.4 TEACHER SPECIALISATION
General
In accordance with the 1998 Education Act1 , all children with special needs attending mainstream schools on a fully integrated basis have an automatic entitlement to special support. Such support may take the form of additional teacher support - through 'resource teachers' employed to assist children with learning disabilities who are integrated in ordinary classes in mainstream schools - or childcare support, or both, depending on the particular needs involved.4
Since the introduction of the 1998 Education Act, each child assessed as having a special educational need, has had an automatic entitlement to a resource to meet that need. This resource may take the form of special extra teaching support or childcare support or both, depending on the specific needs of the child. Where a group of special needs children attend an ordinary mainstream school or adjacent schools, the support takes the form of full-time resource teachers or childcare posts or both. The level of response in each case has regard to the number of children and the severity of the disabilities involved. Where individual or small groups of children are involved, the support usually takes the form of part-time teaching hours or part-time childcare support or both.13
Resource teachers
The Government has recently announced an expansion in the number of resource teachers. Schools will be given a general weighted allocation of resource teachers on the basis of their student numbers. This weighted allocation is designed to cater for students requiring learning support and students in the less acute disability categories. Schools will also be given specific teacher allocations for children with more acute disabilities.35
Visiting teachers
In some instances, visiting teachers are provided through the Visiting Teacher Service. Visiting teachers provide help, advice and support to parents, children and teachers of visually- and hearing-impaired students, some children with Down's Syndrome, and some traveller families, in instances where the children attend the local mainstream primary or post-primary school. The Visiting Teacher Service can also be provided to visually- and/or hearing-impaired children from the age of 2 years. 5
Learning support teachers
Since September 1999, all mainstream primary and secondary schools in Ireland have had access to a learning support teacher service.4
Learning support teachers are appointed over and above normal staffing quotas, to schools of perceived need, so that children can be withdrawn from their mainstream classes for short periods and given special tuition. This is usually only in key subject areas such as reading and maths. In many instances learning support teachers also assist ordinary teachers in group teaching situations within the classroom. Schools may be assigned more than one learning support teacher, or may be required to share a teacher with a number of other schools in the locality.5
There are currently over 1,000 learning support teachers serving around 40,000 children attending ordinary classes in mainstream primary schools in Ireland (children aged 4+ to 12). In addition, there are around 300 learning support teachers in secondary schools (students aged 12+). 5
Teachers in special schools
While many special schools offer a post-primary programme (for students aged 12+) (see 3.2.5), they do not have access to the same level of specialist teachers and other resources as mainstream post-primary schools. At present, qualified post-primary teachers, including those with recognised qualifications in special education, are not eligible to teach in a full-time recognised capacity in most special schools, and primary teachers with experience of teaching students of post-primary age in special schools may not teach in mainstream post-primary schools.21
Early Childhood Education
It is proposed, in the current White Paper on Early Childhood Education (available online at http://www.irlgov.ie/educ/Ready%20to%20Learn/), that the parents of all pre-school children with diagnosed disabilities should have access to an early education expert. Initially, the expert's involvement would be as an adviser to parents and as a disseminator of models of best teaching approaches. Later, it may be to teach the children for short periods. Once children begin to attend a pre-school or care facility in which they will receive education, special education advice will be extended to those who work with the children.8
Training
It is government policy that teachers employed in the special education service should have the same initial training as teachers employed in schools for the general population. This initial training has traditionally been supplemented by various kinds of in-career development specifically suited to the needs of the student population.5
In addition
Children attending special schools and special classes attached to mainstream schools are also entitled to a special transport service and, since September 1999, escorts have been appointed to travel on all special school transport services.0
A range of professionals, such as psychologists, speech and language therapists, nurses, occupational therapists and physiotherapists have an overlapping and interdependent role to play in the education and management of students with special educational needs. Students will often need support from such agencies as health boards, voluntary organisations, religious orders, and training and employment agencies.21
