Written answer
School Curriculum
Most pupils with literacy difficulties receive needs-based support from 15,200 special education teachers; dedicated SLD provision exists, and a pilot is being developed, but waiting-list numbers were not given.
135. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Education and Youth whether she is satisfied that the reading support available in mainstream schools is meeting the needs of pupils with dyslexia; the number of reading classes currently available at primary level and the number of pupils waiting for access to such classes; and the steps she is taking to ensure that pupils receive timely, appropriate support. [74057/26]
Comment on this
The Department of Education and Youth has invested considerably in ensuring that all recognised mainstream schools have been allocated additional special education teaching resources to support children with special educational needs, including students with literacy difficulties.
There are 15,200 special education teachers allocated to primary and post-primary schools to enable them to support children with special educational needs.
It is important to note that the majority of students with literacy difficulties currently receive additional teaching support from a special education teacher in a mainstream class. This is provided on the basis of the individual student’s learning needs, identified in schools, as opposed to being based on a requirement for a child to have a diagnosis, or an assessment, of a particular disability.
Furthermore, there are four schools dedicated to supporting students with specific learning disability (SLD). There are also fourteen SLD classes in eleven mainstream primary schools located across the country, in counties Dublin, Clare, Louth, Galway, Kerry and Wexford.
However, I recognise that more needs to be done. I am happy to advise that my officials in conjunction with the NCSE are currently at an advanced stage in developing a pilot programme to test best practice and support policy formulation going forward.
The pilot is intended to test whether additional supports to mainstream teachers could be provided effectively by teachers who have completed an existing post-graduate programme in Dublin City University’s Institute of Education.
I expect to be in a position to announce details of the new pilot shortly.