660 new special needs teachers posts created - Hanafin

[TKwhiskers]

The government has announced the creation of 660 extra special needs teaching positions in primary schools.

The Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said the new posts will be in place for the coming September.

Minister Hanafin added that all parents of children with special needs across the country can be confident their children will get the education they need.

She said that where a school identifies a pupil with particular learning difficulties, special resource teachers will be made available, and that every school in the country will have an allocation.

Minister Hanafin said that equally, schools must have an enrolment policy to include children with special needs within their catchment area.

Very progressive policy.

[eurocrat]

I'm delighted. As someone who went thorugh National School without my Dislexia being detected, I think this is long over-due

[TKwhiskers]

Hanafin is really proving to be an excellent Minister for Education!

[Biffo]

The government has announced the creation of 660 extra special needs teaching positions in primary schools.

The Minister for Education Mary Hanafin said the new posts will be in place for the coming September.

Minister Hanafin added that all parents of children with special needs across the country can be confident their children will get the education they need.

She said that where a school identifies a pupil with particular learning difficulties, special resource teachers will be made available, and that every school in the country will have an allocation.

Minister Hanafin said that equally, schools must have an enrolment policy to include children with special needs within their catchment area.

Very progressive policy.

Certainly. Probably overdue aswell. Im sure when any of us were in national school ther would have been people who would be classed as special needs who were simply allowed to wander through the education system without being given any extra help.

[rockofcashel]

Fair enough lads, but why dont FF do the decent thing and call the election. Its a bit disingenous to leave us all waiting when they've already started buying it

[TKwhiskers]

Fair enough lads, but why dont FF do the decent thing and call the election. Its a bit disingenous to leave us all waiting when they've already started buying it

Becareful what you wish for! :wink:

[eurocrat]

OH come on Rock! Are the goverment not allowed to popular things?

Why can't you just comment on the policy itself and leave the party politics out of it?

TK, she can be regarded as a excellent Minister when she tackles the 3rd level funding issue. Its going to be alot more controversail than annoucing new special needs teachers.

[aodh_rua]

How has she been excellent? The primary education system is bursting at the seams, and while 660 new special needs teachers are certainly welcome, 660 regular teachers would be nice too. And how about delivering on the school building program we were promised at the last election. And then there's the massive funding cuts that the third level institutions have suffered in recent years.

I think the education system in this country succeeds in spite of the political mandarins not thanks to them and their 'excellent' minister.

[Kerrygold]

This is good news. However, the way in which they are to be allocted is flawed. They will be allocated in line with school enrolement figures and not based on the school's actual learning disability need. You would think that this system is fair, but it is not true to say that a big school will have more LD students that a smaller school.

[meriwether]

Great policy, well done to Minister Hanafin.