The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) today expressed concern over the Department of Education and Skill’s decision to delay the sanctioning of special needs resource teachers for next year pending clarification of resource allocation.

Union General Secretary Peter MacMenamin said:

“The Department has informed us that they intend to delay the sanctioning of special needs resource teachers for second level schools. Up to now, these positions have been given to schools based on the need of the particular student cohort.

Naturally, we are gravely concerned that any such move could be a prelude to a cutting back or other restriction in the provision of such posts and are seeking further urgent clarification on this matter.  

Any delay or curtailment of this allocation will have the effect of schools being unable to continue with the integration of students with special needs or to take in additional students with such needs.  The allocation of these teachers is used strategically to provide for small group work for students with such assessed needs such as basic literacy and numeracy as well as other key skills.

Regrettably, large numbers of schools continue to operate selective enrolment policies which result in those schools which operate fair policies enrolling a disproportionate number of students with special educational needs. This would mean that schools which cater for the most numbers of such students in our communities would once again suffer under any new cull of these posts. In the current climate, this would be unconscionable.”