Inclusive Education Policy and Practice in Ireland

Carlton Shearwater Hotel & Spa Ballinasloe Galway 19th – 20th May 2008

Inclusion – Policy & Practice Pat Goff & Larry Fleming

Background • For over a century – little legislation in Ireland governing the provision of Special Education • Mid-nineties the right to an education for a child with Special Education Needs asserted in the High Court (O’Donoghue & Sinnott Cases) • Since then five major pieces of legislation

Legislation • The Education Act 1998 • Education Welfare Act 2000 • Equal Status Act 2000 • The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 (EPSEN) • Disability Act 2005 • Circular SP ED 02/05

EPSEN Act • The EPSEN Act is underpinned by a very challenging and compelling vision for future Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision in Ireland • There are three major components of this future vision

EPSEN Act – future vision • Children with SEN will have an enforceable right to an appropriate education in an inclusive setting • Children with SEN will participate in, and benefit from, education on a par with their peers who do not have SEN

EPSEN Act – future vision • Children with SEN will achieve outcomes from education which will facilitate them in: • transferring to the workplace • progressing to further education and lifelong learning • participating meaningfully in economic, social and cultural activity • living fulfilled lives independently in the community

Vision to Reality • Mainstream schools • ‘Inclusive schools’. • In many schools it is the role of Deputy Principal that has responsibility for this

Vision to Reality • It is interesting to note that this same issue is causing serious debate in other countries. • “the debate over provision has for too long been focused on an unhelpful interpretation of inclusion as a place(that is mainstream or special), rather than on what the pupilsachieve”.( House of Commons Education & Skills Committee, England 2006)

Inclusive school • SEN – General Allocation Model (GAM), Special units, Low Incidence. • DEIS – Social Inclusion • Immigrants– Integration • Traveller Children

Impact on School • Self evaluation of how we viewed SEN • Self evaluation of Mainstream provision • Organisation, Roles & Workload • What % of ‘SEN, Immigrants, Travellers’, tips the ‘Balance’ in a school

Labels? • Traditionally unless pupil had label – no resources • Danger - fixed notion of the ‘label’ • The label should belong to the ‘need’ not the child. A ‘special need’ is something a child might have in a particular context and with particular tasks.

‘Pygmalion Effect’ or ‘Self-fulfilling Prophesy’ The way we view pupils has a subtle but important influence upon the nature and quality of our teaching. This may be a determining factor in whether a child succeeds or fails in school. “The most pervasive source of learning difficulties is the school system itself”. (UNESCO, Salamanca Statement..(1994)

Type of Intervention • Traditionally the type of intervention in the school for special needs provision was to withdraw the SEN pupils for individual teaching or to work in small groups • This concept needs to be re-evaluated

Intervention Let me get this straight – I'm falling behind the other kids, so you’re gonna take me outta class, work me half as hard, cover half the stuff, teach me slower and expect me to catch up!?"

Roles • Class Teacher to Class Manager • Support Teacher - mainly in-class support through shared teaching, team teaching, group work & one to one

Types of Intervention • There is a three-stage approach to Assessment, Identification and Programme Planning Stage 1 • If class teacher/parent has concerns – teacher should administer screening measures and then draw up a short simple plan for extra help to be implemented

Types of Intervention Stage 2 • Pupil should be referred to learning support/resource teacher for further diagnostic testing – if necessary supplementary teaching should be provided. (Group IEP) Stage 3 • School may formally request a consultation and an assessment of need from an outside specialist – IEP’s

Role of Principal/Deputy Principal • Liaison with Special Needs Section DES • Liaison with National Educational Psychological Service • Liaison with Special Educational Needs Organiser • Management & Supervision of SNA’s • Endless paperwork (no national database) • Co-ordination of the work of Class, Learning Support • Resource and Special Class teachers

Summary Education System: • 5500 teachers in primary schools working directly with pupils with special needs (1500 in 1998) • 8,200 Special Needs Assistants (less than 700 in 1998)

There is now a system in place in Ireland to provide inclusion in mainstream schools, currently being reviewed • General Allocation Model & Low Incidence Allocation is providing extra staffing • Three stage intervention within the school • A climate of change as to the type of intervention in the school i.e.. in-class support • There is a plan and timelines to implement the EPSEN Act

This 42 step plan is costed - €400 million extra needed in the next three years • Significant change over the last number of years in primary schools in Ireland, esp. as we have also revised our curriculum • Many schools have fully embraced this change, many are finding the changes difficult

Change is a process, not an event • There will be challenges and dilemmas • Fear of the unknown • Custom & Practice Change

Little Zachary Little Zachary was doing very badly in math. His parents had tried everything... Tutors, Mentors, flash cards, Special learning centers, in short, everything they could think of to help his math. Finally, in a last ditch effort, they took Zachary down and enrolled him in the local Catholic school.

After the first day, little Zachary came home with a very serious look on his face. He didn't even kiss his mother Hello. Instead, he went straight to his room and started studying. Books and papers were spread out all over the room and little Zachary was hard at work. His mother was amazed. She called him down to dinner. To her shock, the minute he was done, he marched back to his room without a word, and in no time, he was back hitting the books as hard as before. This went on for some time, day after day, while the mother tried to understand what made all the difference.

Finally, little Zachary brought home his report Card. He quietly laid it on the table, went up to his Room and hit the books. With great trepidation, His Mom looked at it and to her great surprise, Little Zachary got an 'A' in math. She could no Longer hold her curiosity. She went to his room and said, 'Son, what was it? Was it the nuns?' Little Zachary looked at her and shook his head, no. 'Well, then,' she replied, Was it the books, the discipline, the structure, the uniforms? 'WHAT WAS IT?'

Little Zachary looked at her and said, 'Well, on the first day of school when I saw that guy nailed to the plus sign, I knew they weren't fooling around.'

Inclusive Education Policy and Practice in Ireland