School Staffing

I raise the issue of special needs pupils and teachers. It is now imperative that special needs teachers and classes are exempt from the cutbacks being imposed regarding supervision and substitution cover. It is important that we acknowledge the special role of special needs education in the education system. It is extraordinary that in St. Columba’s in Cork, which has become a model for the teaching of special needs students, its principal, who is a respected educator and a sincere man, is being forced to write to parents about this issue.Does the Minister of State believe it is right that a provision causing hardship is being imposed on special needs education? Special needs classes should be exempt from the substitution and supervision cutbacks. That would avoid the need for principals to engage in crisis management and alleviate the concern among parents.

I am not making this up. This week, the principal of St. Columba’s, Douglas, Cork, had to write to parents explaining to them that because of the cutbacks in the employment of substitute teachers and supervision, he may not be able to provide immediate cover on the first day of substitution if a teacher does not come to work because of illness. That creates a number of problems, not just in a specific school but across a multitude of schools inCork and throughout the country.

It now behoves Government to admit it made a mistake. Before Christmas, the Minister, Deputy Batt O’Keeffe, said he had found an additional €2.5 million but this is not mainstream education. I am talking about special needs education.

The circular should be rewritten to include a specific exemption for special needs education. It is imperative that is done. I acknowledge that at a time of plenty the provision of special needs assistants became a welcome part of the education lexicon. However, in this time of financial difficulty, those who most need our help to be educated deserve to be treated with the respect they are entitled to from the State. I ask that children in special needs classes be exempted. The Minister can insert one line in the circular to the effect that an exemption is being given to special needs classes.