Additional supports for four special education schools in Mayo

A NUMBER of special education schools in Mayo will benefit from additional targeted supports.

Minister of State Alan Dillon said four schools will benefit from the appointment of an administrative deputy principal from September next while two schools will see an increase in their post-primary teaching hours.

His colleague, Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Hildegarde Naughton, has announced details of arrangements to apply for the supports.

A key feature of Budget 2024 is the provision of an additional €11 million specifically targeted at special education schools. This funding provides for the removal of the current 15 teacher threshold for the appointment of administrative deputy principals in special schools and a further 100 teaching posts targeted at special schools with post-primary aged students.

Said Minister Dillon: “This means that St. Anthony’s and St. Brid’s Special Education Schools in Castlebar and St. Dympna’s and St. Nicholas schools in Ballina will have an administrative deputy principal allocated from September while St. Anthony’s and St. Nicholas’ will also benefit from an increased allocation of post-primary teaching hours from September.

“The additional administrative deputy principal posts will be instrumental in assisting the four Mayo principals with leadership and management functions and to support learning and parental and community engagement.”

Over 50% of the students in special schools are aged 13 years and over.

The additional post-primary teaching posts will facilitate the two Mayo schools to deliver a greater range of national curriculum subjects at junior and senior cycle, providing access to programmes that are age and stage appropriate, and that build on individual strengths and promote progression and transition.

The additional posts have been converted into a bank of post-primary teaching hours (co-operation hours) and will be allocated to schools on a pro-rata basis, in accordance with the number of students aged 13 and over in the school.