Deployment of Special Needs Assistants

Education policy in Ireland is focused on child centred learning and has moved towards inclusion of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in mainstream schools since the 1990’s.   Although   Special Needs Assistants (SNA’s) were present in the Irish education system since the 1970’s, their numbers have only recently rapidly increased.   Much of this increase is clearly linked to the Education Act 1998 as it focused on one-to-one support for pupils with special educational needs and provision was made for this support with expansion in the provision of SNA’s and resource teachers leading to SNA’s becoming an integral part of the Irish educational system.   In recent years, Special Needs has become an area continually prioritised in government spending.   “More than €820 million was provided for special education in 2007.   This is €180 million, or nearly 30 per cent, more than the allocation in 2006.”   The initial role for the SNA in Irish schools was seen as a ‘care role’ in which the emphasis was on one-to-one support for students with special educational needs.   However, with rapid increases in the number of SNA’s   and expectations that their number will rise in the future, the government is now conducting a ‘value for money audit’ in the provision of SNA’s.   There is no doubt that SNA’s have brought about tremendous improvements in the provision of education in Ireland as they are seen as a vital asset in the classroom.   However, much confusion is widespread over the exact role of SNA’s and how and where this role can be changed to further assist education in the classroom.   “Some School principals have raised concern about the lack of uniformity in the way special needs assistants carry out their duties and the lack of clearer direction from the department.”   Lack of understanding of this role has led to the undervaluing of SNA’s and perhaps in many cases not allowing SNA’s work to their potential as the skills they acquired prior to becoming an SNA are not...