Two special schools in Letterkenny have been allocated extra post-primary teaching hours for the new school year in September.
St. Bernadette’s and Little Angels are included in the €11 million fund for support for special schools announced in Budget 2024.
The fund provides for 100 teaching posts across 88 special schools with post-primary aged students.
Over 50% of the students in special schools nationwide are aged 13 years and over.
The additional post-primary teaching posts will facilitate special schools to deliver a greater range of national curriculum subjects at junior and senior cycle, providing access to programmes that are age and stage-appropriate, and that build on individual strengths and promote progression and transition.
The additional posts have been converted into a bank of post-primary teaching hours (co-operation hours) and will be allocated to schools on a pro-rata basis, in accordance with the number of students aged 13 and over in the school.
Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Hildegarde Naughton T.D., said: “Budget 2024 makes the biggest-ever commitment, in real, financial and percentage terms, to students with special educational needs and their families. The detail of the targeted measures for special schools announced today is designed to help support the 9,000 students in special schools to thrive at school and realise the full extent of their potential.
“I want to acknowledge in particular the support of Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) and each of the Education and Training Board (ETB)s nationwide who, together with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), have partnered with my Department to support the delivery of the additional post-primary posts to special schools.”
Minister Naughton added: “The provision of these additional post-primary teaching posts will also assist special schools in being ready to offer the new Senior Cycle Level 1 and Level 2 modules which are currently in development as part of Senior Cycle redevelopment. These new posts and curriculum pathways at Senior Cycle will also support students in our special schools to transition to available further education and training opportunities and employment opportunities after school.”
