SPECIAL EDUCATION 2000 FOR 5 TO 7 YEAR OLDS

The Minister of Education today announced a further component to the Government's Special Education 2000 policy with the establishment of new support for 5-7 year old children with high special education needs.

"Special Education 2000 is being phased in over 2-3 years alongside an extensive research programme to make sure that the policy is delivering for students. This way any modifications are soundly based," Education Minister Wyatt Creech said today.

"We have identified that some children aged between 5 and 7 years who have high special education needs have missed out on help through the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme. This is because it has been hard to decide whether their needs are ongoing."

The Ongoing Resourcing Scheme guarantees ongoing funding for students with high and very high special education needs regardless of where they get their education.

"We are setting up a new component of Special Education 2000 to cater for the needs of these children. The Transitional Resourcing Scheme will give 5-7 year old students with high special education needs individually targeted support until the end of the school year in which they turn seven.

These students will receive paraprofessional (teacher aide) support immediately, and from next year they will also receive specialist support ( such as from a specialist education teacher), therapy funding (such as from an occupational therapist or physiotherapist) as well as extra teaching support.

The children will be assessed again before they turn eight to establish whether they need to part of the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme.

"At this early age it has been difficult to assess whether their needs are from developmental delay or whether they are significant or ongoing. Providing these students with high needs extra support in their early years at school will help these students in their later years at school," Mr Creech said.