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The Minister for Education and Skills, Joe McHugh TD, today (Tuesday 19 November) welcomed the NCSE’s progress report on the development of Policy Advice on Special Schools and Special Classes.
The NCSE progress report provides information on the agency’s work to date on special education policy, including some preliminary analysis of emerging findings from the consultation and research strands, which underpins NCSE policy advice. The policy advice is due to be completed for submission to the Minister by June 2020.
Welcoming the NCSE publication of this report, the Minister said:
“The report shows the NCSE have done substantial work on this most important issue.
“The NCSE has also ensured that the views of children, their parents and representatives and other stakeholders have been listened to.
“It is essential that we continue to provide opportunities for the voices of children, parents and others to be heard.”
The Minister welcomed the NCSE’s planned public consultation with parents, students, people with disabilities, teachers, educational partners and stakeholders.
Minister McHugh said:
“This government is continuing the huge increase in investment in special education. It is unprecedented. Special education is an ongoing priority. By next year we’ve funding for 1,886 special classes, 13,620 special education teachers and 17,014 Special Needs Assistants.
“All of this investment is to try and ensure that children are educated in an inclusive setting as far as practicable. Each child should be educated with their peers in mainstream wherever feasible and this is very much reflected in what the NCSE has stated in this progress report.”
On the initial findings of the NCSE report, the Minister said:
“Any decision about whether to move towards greater inclusion of all students in mainstream requires very careful consideration.
“This is a long term vision and it is important to say that if any change is to be made it will have to happen gradually and by putting the needs of children with the most complex needs at the heart of this.”
The Minister also noted the NCSE’s examination of the implications of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in order to ensure the way forward, which will be recommended in the policy advice, is in the best interests of all children and their needs.
The Minister looks forward to further engagement with the NCSE as part of its public consultation as outlined in the progress report and indicated that he has asked that the final policy advice report be submitted to him by June 2020.
The Minister also noted the NCSE reference to Section 62 of the Education (Admissions to Schools) Act 2018 which prohibits schools from taking a child’s academic ability, skills or aptitude into account when deciding on enrolment applications.
The department is consulting with education partners in relation to the preparation of regulations that are required alongside commencement of this section of the act ahead of applications for enrolment for the 2021/22 school year.
ENDS
In September 2018, the NCSE was requested to develop policy advice on the educational provision that should be in place for students educated in special schools and classes and to make recommendations on the provision required to enable them achieve better outcomes.
The report was undertaken at the request of the previous Minister.
It was agreed that the report will be completed and submitted to the Minister by June 2020.
The NCSE was also requested to provide a progress report by end September 2019.
The NCSE has now submitted the progress report, which summarises NCSE’s progress to date in preparing its advice by setting out:
The following outlines work completed on Policy Advice by NCSE to date:
A link to the NCSE report is available here: https://ncse.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Progress-Report-Policy-Advice-on-Special-Schools-Classes-website-upload.pdf.