Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 November 2024
31. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Education for an update on the school inclusion model; to outline any plans her Department has for delivery for the next academic year 2025--26; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44956/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn June 2024 I announced the establishment of the Educational Therapy Support Service (ETSS), which will see the appointment, on a permanent basis, of 39 occupational and speech and language therapists, as well as 5 behaviour practitioners to the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).
The expansion of therapy services within the NCSE is expected to build on the achievements and impact of the in-school therapy supports services in the School Inclusion Model (SIM) pilot. SIM provided speech and language and occupational therapists the opportunity to systematically build the capacity of school communities to meet student’s needs.
The overarching purpose of the Educational Therapy Support Service will be to improve learning outcomes for students, ensure teachers are better equipped to support all students and ensure that the right resource is available to meet the needs of individual children to support better educational outcomes.
Therapists will work with teachers and other school personnel to build their capacity to provide as effectively as possible for the needs of students, for example through language programmes co-designed by teachers and speech and language therapists. They will work in partnership with school communities, NCSE colleagues and, where appropriate, NEPS and HSE professionals, promoting the participation and inclusion of all students particularly those with special education needs across all levels of a multi-tiered system of support, providing educational support for students with the greatest level of need.
The Educational Therapy Support Service provides two strands of support: sustained in-school therapy for a period of 24 months, in line with the SIM model and regional therapy support. Regional therapy support includes teacher professional learning seminars with follow-up in-school implementation support and the design and development of therapy resources with education colleagues.
The ETSS has commenced the delivery of school-based support. There are currently 22 schools in the Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow region involved in the NCSE Sustained In-school Support for 2024-2026. Regional therapy support has been advertised to all schools in Dublin Kildare and Wicklow. The first seminars and in-school support for teachers began in October 2024.
Limerick has been identified as the most suitable hub for the Western region and it is anticipated that schools in Limerick and Tipperary will be invited to apply for sustained in-school support in early 2025, subject to the recruitment of appropriate personnel by the NCSE.
It is envisaged that teacher professional learning seminars for both Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy, with follow up in-school support, will be available nationally for 2025/2026.
