2.1 Organisation and control of system/structure
2.1.1 Control
2.1.2 Funding
2.1.3 Private sector education
2.1.4 SPECIAL PUBLICLY-FUNDED PROVISION WITHIN OR OUTSIDE MAINSTREAM EDUCATION
See section 2.1.1 of the mainstream Ireland Archive in addition.
In accordance with the 1998 Education Act1 , and the 2002 Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill, 30 all children with special needs within the primary education system in the Republic of Ireland (aged around 4+-12 years) are entitled to an automatic response to their needs. To ensure that this response can be provided, the Government has recently begun to extend the range of data gathered on students with special needs. Currently, the Department of Education and Science (DES) collects statistics on the number of students with special needs attending special schools and special classes, but information on special needs students attending mainstream schools on a fully integrated basis is not specifically collected. The objective now is to extend a database to include such information.10
A National Intellectual Disability Database has been established and planning is underway to set up a similar database for physical and sensory disabilities. The existence of such databases aims to assist in planning services and policy at the national level. However, children with disabilities live at local level and consequently each local health board is now expected to maintain its own database to cover the broad range of disabilities. It is intended that the collection and recording of such data should lead to appropriate planning of intervention services, including early childhood special education, at local level.8
The diagnosis and identification of disability at local health board level is crucial. To do this effectively it is essential that, within each health board, there are well-staffed, multidisciplinary teams available to function in hospitals where children are born and at local level where a variety of health services is provided to young children. Multidisciplinary teams already function within the health boards. Their ultimate goal is the improvement of the general welfare of children through the early identification and assessment of difficulties and disabilities.8
Teams should have the range of professional expertise needed to identify and advise on the range of disabilities they will meet in young children. While the contribution of each specialist in the diagnosis of special needs is to be valued, the data from certain specialists is of particular use. The insights and recommendations of psychologists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists, can be of immediate value in pre-school settings and in schools in developing education plans for children with disabilities. The advice and support of these professionals should be available to staff who are working with young children with special needs. Teachers with expertise in special needs education should be members of teams when planning for the education of a child with a disability is being discussed. The teacher member of the multidisciplinary teams should be the main channel of communication between the team and staff and teachers in schools.8
The current White Paper on Early Childhood Education (which remains a consultative document) recommends that these multidisciplinary teams, responsible for coordinating provision for children with special educational needs (SEN) should:
The White Paper also proposes the establishment of an Early Childhood Education Agency. This would have a role that involves the coordination of the services of different government departments and groups at a national level, whilst a multidisciplinary team would be responsible for efficient and effective coordination of provision at local level.8
In addition, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established in early 2005. This body has a research and development role, in addition to ensuring that children with special educational needs (SEN) receive their entitlement. A Chief Executive Officer has been appointed and it is intended that 80 "Special Educational Needs Organisers" will be recruited for deployment throughout Ireland. Their role will be that of liaison with parents and schools. 33
The special education system in Ireland is grant-aided; the Department of Education and Science (DES) is responsible for teachers' salaries and approximately 85 per cent of capital costs and grants towards operating costs.23
Primary-level education
In publicly-funded education in Ireland, the current and capital costs of primary schools, including the full costs of teachers' salaries, are predominantly funded by the State and supplemented by local contributions. In addition, special funding arrangements are in place for some schools, for example, in disadvantaged areas and for children with special needs.16
In addition, funding is made available to meet the special equipment needs of some children with disabilities.4
Types of provision
Current government policy is to encourage the maximum possible level of integration of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools and to establish the necessary supports to facilitate this development.21
This provision should allow for:
The SERC Report (1993) (see 1.2.1) defines areas of special educational need under four headings, which embrace a wide range of special educational needs and include:
In accordance with the Education Act 1998, and the 2002 Education for Persons with Disabilities Bill, all children with special needs attending ordinary schools on a fully integrated basis have an automatic entitlement to special support. Such support may take the form of additional teacher support or childcare support, or both, depending on the particular needs involved.4
The Government has recently annouced increased provision for resource teachers to assist children with special educational needs who are integrated within the mainstream. Schools are to be given a weighted allocation of resource teachers on the basis of their student numbers.35
Children attending special schools, or 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.4
See section 3.2.5 in addition.
Size of provision
Although educational provision for students with special needs is made in both mainstream and special schools, around one per cent of all primary and post-primary school students receive their education in special schools.23
The Special Education Review Committee, 1993 (see 1.2.1 in addition), estimated that approximately two per cent of children could be expected to be affected by disability, but a larger group would experience learning difficulties in school.5
Numerically, children with general learning disability form the largest single category of disability. It is estimated that, at any one time, around 1.5 per cent of the total school-going population is in the category of mild general learning disability, about 0.5 per cent in the category of moderate general learning disability and about 0.4 per cent in the category of severe and profound general learning disability. In so far as Intelligence Quotient (IQ) can be used as a measure of general learning disability, children with mild general learning disability are deemed to be in the IQ range of 50-70; children with moderate general learning disability in the IQ range 35-50; and children with severe and profound general learning disability in the IQ range below 25.5
Early childhood education
In the absence of accurate statistics for each disability category, only an estimate can be made of the numbers of young children who require early childhood special education. Not all disabilities will be detected in the years before children reach the age of 6 years, when compulsory education begins (and many children in Ireland begin school at age 4+). Many children with mild general learning disabilities are identified only after some time in school. However, a reasonable estimate of the number of children who will require special education in the early years is about four per cent of an age cohort.8
Primary-level education
The primary education sector (children aged 4+ to 12) comprises primary schools, special schools and non-aided private primary schools. It serves around 500,000 children. In the 1996-97 academic year, there were:
It is important to note that, although special schools are classed as primary schools, they cater for students aged 4+-18 years of age. (Compiler's note.)
Most special schools have fewer than 200 children.5