Senator Tony Mulcahy has received confirmation from the National Council for Special Needs (NCSE) that 3 new classes for children with special needs are scheduled to open in County Clare during September.
Two classes for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are located at Barefield National School and Sixmilebridge National School, while a third class for children with mild General Learning Disabilities (GLD) is located at Ennis Community School. They are amongst 118 new classes to open around Ireland this month.
Senator Mulcahy commented: "These new classes are catering for over 700 children with special needs in 113 mainstream primary and post primary schools. It will bring the total number of special classes to over 740 in mainstream schools nationwide, including 11 primary and 4 post primary schools in Clare, catering for over 5,000 children with special needs when all classes are open. 242 special classes have been created during the lifetime of this Government - a 50% increase in the availability of special classes since 2011."
Senator Mulcahy said that “great progress” has been made during the past couple of years in terms of the provision of additional education supports to schools, including special classes. He added however: “Every effort must be made to continue to provide special classes in mainstream schools as one of the options available to parents of children with significant needs who cannot be educated in a mainstream class, for example some children with autism or a specific speech and language disorder.”
“Such classes have lower pupil-teacher ratios than mainstream classes, ranging from one teacher for six pupils to one teacher for eleven pupils. I know from personal experience, as the father of a child with special needs that the children who use such facilities benefit greatly in terms of their overall development,” concluded Senator Mulcahy.
Two classes for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are located at Barefield National School and Sixmilebridge National School, while a third class for children with mild General Learning Disabilities (GLD) is located at Ennis Community School. They are amongst 118 new classes to open around Ireland this month.
Senator Mulcahy commented: "These new classes are catering for over 700 children with special needs in 113 mainstream primary and post primary schools. It will bring the total number of special classes to over 740 in mainstream schools nationwide, including 11 primary and 4 post primary schools in Clare, catering for over 5,000 children with special needs when all classes are open. 242 special classes have been created during the lifetime of this Government - a 50% increase in the availability of special classes since 2011."
Senator Mulcahy said that “great progress” has been made during the past couple of years in terms of the provision of additional education supports to schools, including special classes. He added however: “Every effort must be made to continue to provide special classes in mainstream schools as one of the options available to parents of children with significant needs who cannot be educated in a mainstream class, for example some children with autism or a specific speech and language disorder.”
“Such classes have lower pupil-teacher ratios than mainstream classes, ranging from one teacher for six pupils to one teacher for eleven pupils. I know from personal experience, as the father of a child with special needs that the children who use such facilities benefit greatly in terms of their overall development,” concluded Senator Mulcahy.
