The programme for Government has various commitments under the education heading to allow students to reach their full potential. There is a serious issue with regard to resource hours and how they have been allocated, however. Two schools recently came to me which will need more resource hours in the 2017-18 school year, but they have been allocated the same resource hours as last year. This will put enormous pressure on the schools to help and accommodate the extra children who will need more resource hours. The way resource hours were allocated is totally inadequate. Due recognition must be taken of the number of children who need help with resource hours rather than a blanket number of hours being allocated.

The new resource allocation model involves 1,000 additional teachers being allocated to schools. It dispenses with the needs for diagnostic tests or labelling of children before they get access to the support of a resource teacher. It is a significant improvement. Schools have resources available for them to meet these educational needs.

If there was an exceptional intake in one year that was not reflected in previous years, there is a possibility of making a case to the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. The expectation is that schools have been accommodated with resources without the need for these diagnostic tests. They are in a position to meet the needs of the children from the profile of the school established in the past. By and large, this is working well. If the schools in question want to submit a case to the NCSE, it will be assessed.