Children with special needs are losing out on extra learning time due to a cap on teacher numbers.

The Irish Examiner reports that pupils in hundreds of schools in Ireland are receiving less than 85 per cent of the additional teaching they require for special needs as a consequence of this limit being reached.

Under an arrangement introduced last year, it was revealed that 85 per cent of resource teaching hours suggested by experts with regard to pupils with autism and a range of disabilities would be granted in September, as this would allow applications made late in the school year to be considered.

However, it has emerged that a sanction in November allowed for an extra 430 resource teachers, which resulted in all 5,265 resource teachers already being in position for the March to October period.

As a result, children in schools where new applications are made will get less than 85 per cent of what they otherwise would have had.

Written by Donal Walsh

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