Over 700 primary school principals have signed a petition to demand the Department of Education make changes to how special education teachers are allocated, following the publication of SET Allocations for the 2024-25 school year.
They say that despite claims from the Minister for Education, Norma Foley, that allocations have increased, research from the National Principals’ Forum (NPF) has indicated that 76% of primary principals do not have enough hours to support children with additional needs in their schools.
“Data analysis of the allocations expose the Department’s claims of 1,000 additional teaching positions and increases to resources. The bare facts show that only 63 additional full-time posts are being created and the increase to allocations is roughly 0.6%,” the NPF said in a statement.
The petition demands that:
Miriam Kennedy Principal Birdhill NS in Tipperary said that the fact that “Children with Complex Needs are not even considered in terms of our SET allocation is nonsensical” while Martin Duffy of Our Lady’s NS in Carlow added that it was “appalling that children with complex needs are no longer factored in when it comes to SET allocations going forward. Yet Ministers Foley and Madigan continuously stress how they prioritise children with additional needs.”
Teresa O Connor of Rossmore NS in Tipperary said:
“I am both principal of a school and a parent of a pupil with complex needs. It is absolutely heartbreaking that our children are being failed once again. There are no public services available for our children with complex needs and now they are being removed from our school system as if they are second class citizens and not worthy of an education. Life for children with complex needs is difficult, they have to work the hardest to make minute progress. Our education system is regressing.”
“In a time when we are seeing massive sums of money being pumped into very public and newsworthy schemes like Free Books for Primary Schools and The Hot Meals Programme, it is shocking that behind the scenes the department are cutting costs and taking invaluable resources from already critically under resourced areas like Special Education,” Sarah Fitzpatrick, principal of Tunnyduff NS commented.
A principal in Galway spoke anonymously to NPF, saying
“I needed 2.5 hours to save my teacher as my hours were cut two years ago. In the end I had to twin with a school in Dublin. How can a teacher be expected to work like that? We’ve been cut another 2.5 hours this year and I can’t keep going with the stress.”
This petition is the latest in a series of representations to the Minister for Education, joining advocacy groups such as Inclusion Ireland, AsIAm and Down’s Syndrome Ireland in criticising the SET Allocations.