‘Fairer’ special needs resource allocation for trial in 47 schools

Almost 50 schools are taking part in a pilot scheme aimed at testing a “fairer” system of allocating resources for special educational needs.

A total of 28 primary schools and 19 post-primary schools have agreed to participate in the pilot project on a voluntary basis.

The schools have been assured they will not suffer any loss of resources as a result of their participation, although the scheme if fully implemented could lead to a shift in learning support posts from middle-class areas to more disadvantaged ones.

A working group of the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) last year recommended a new model of allocating the more than 11,000 learning support posts.

Disability diagnosis

It proposed removing the requirement for children to get a diagnosis of disability, which was seen to favour those who could afford to go privately, and to allocate resources based on the school’s socio-economic and educational profile.

An analysis by The Irish Times published earlier this month of the allocation of special needs resources shows that schools in some of the most socially advantaged areas of Dublin are among the highest recipients of extra learning supports.

Minister for Education and Skills Jan O’Sullivan TD said the 47 schools trialling the new system were selected to ensure a full representation of disadvantaged classification, gender mix, school size and sector.

The scheme had initially been scheduled for introduction across all schools this month, and principals were last year ordered to return profile surveys to prepare for this deadline.

But Ms O’Sullivan said: “There had not been time to address all of the outstanding issues in time to fully implement the new model for 2015.”

She added, however: “In order to maintain momentum behind the NCSE proposal, I have established a pilot which will take place in the 2015/16 school year.

“Reform of the allocation system is needed and I am committed to achieving that goal.”

Six primary schools from Dublin are included in the list, including national schools in Lucan, Drimnagh and Ballymun. Other counties represented include Waterford, Kildare, Offaly, Mayo and Leitrim.

Participating secondary schools include the boys-only St Vincent’s, Glasnevin; the girls-only at Muckross Park, Donnybrook, and the mixed Coachford College in Cork.

Orientation day

An initial training and orientation day for the schools is taking place in Athlone on Tuesday.

The Minister said the pilot had been developed “to test the model in a number of schools and to allow for the practical effect of the application of the new model in pilot schools to be gauged, while also taking into account the learning experiences of schools, principals, pupils and the views of parents”.