2,000 special needs teaching jobs face axe

THE likelihood of special needs assistants (SNAs) being withdrawn from thousands of children in schools will be strengthened by a recommendation from An Bord Snip Nua to cut their numbers by almost a fifth. The board suggested the number of SNAs who help pupils with special needs be cut by 2,000 to 8,500. It pointed out that some schools keep SNAs after the child they are assigned to leaves the school or no longer needs their help.

But a number of reviews are already under way into the 10,500 SNA jobs, which cost around €350 million this year. A value-for-money audit on the service is being carried out by the Department of Education and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has also carried out a review.

Many schools have already been notified by the NCSE that some of their SNA posts do not meet the criteria for appointments but they have been allowed to keep their allocation until the end of next January, except where the pupil has left the school.

The reprieve has been granted to allow for the review to be completed by the end of the year, but a letter from the department to schools in the past few weeks has told them that all SNAs in unauthorised jobs must be made redundant by February 1.

IMPACT official Philip Mullen said the union, which represents most SNAs, will work with parents to oppose the 2,000 job cuts proposed.

"The Government could not implement this recommendation and claim to be protecting the most vulnerable in society. This is a direct attack on our most vulnerable children," he said.

Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe's spokesperson said last night that SNA posts will continue to be provided for pupils who qualify for support.

An Bord Snip Nua also recommended that the NCSE, an independent statutory body set up under 2004 legislation, be absorbed into the Department of Education. It proposed the same fate for the National Educational Welfare Board, which was set up in 2001 to monitor school attendance and recently took over schemes aimed at reducing early school leaving.

The Irish National Teachers' Organisation said increasing numbers of children are enrolling in primary schools without English.

An Bord Snip Nua proposed cutting 1,000 of 1,500 language support teachers by September 2010.

A suggestion to cut the number of Vocational Education Committees from 33 to 22 could also face political opposition, as hundreds of city and county councillors sit on their boards.