Brian Stanley: Demands NCSE Plan Be Scrapped Over SNA Cuts
Brian Stanley criticised proposed cuts to special needs assistant (SNA) allocations and the NCSE review, saying the measures have generated fear and uncertainty among parents, SNAs, teachers, unions and families. He called for the plan to be scrapped rather than paused and demanded proper engagement with SNAs, teachers, unions and parents.
Immediate call to scrap the plan
The speaker described the proposed cuts and the NCSE review as a total disaster that has provoked a massive backlash. He argued the plan should be abolished, not merely paused, and challenged the adequacy of prior consultation with those directly affected.
Local impact in County Lees
Two schools in County Lees, Timahoe National School and Rath National School, were identified as facing reductions in SNA allocation. The speaker said he received numerous letters and contacts from parents in those schools and warned the cuts would have disastrous consequences for children with additional needs and their classmates.
Practical consequences for teachers and pupils
He warned that if SNAs were reduced, teachers would be forced to perform SNA duties, disrupting classroom teaching for the other 20 to 25 pupils. The speaker emphasised that SNAs provide essential support for physical, psychological, learning and emotional needs that enable inclusion in mainstream classrooms.
Concerns about the NCSE circular and engagement
The speaker criticised an NCSE circular that he said narrowed the role of SNAs and placed responsibility for individual needs on class teachers, calling that approach unworkable. He also criticised the lack of serious engagement with SNAs, unions, parents and school representatives before the plan was issued.
Demand for proper engagement and reform
He urged that the plan be scrapped and replaced by a process of proper engagement with teachers, unions and SNAs, with a view to improving the SNA system and ensuring children receive appropriate support where they need it.
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Thanks. Thanks for your look. Ministers, the proposed cuts and review, as it was called, which really cutbacks were a total disaster and has generated a massive amount of concern. There's been a huge backlash to it from parents, from SNAs and teachers, from unions and families. In County Lees there's two schools that were going to have their SNAs vital supports cut. It's created all those concerns and uncertainties and fear in those schools and in the families that need them. The plan must be scrapped and not just paused. In Lees, Timahoe National School and Rath National School were facing cuts in their SNA allocation. I had numerous letters and contacts and discussions with parents in those schools. If these cuts were implemented, it would have had disastrous consequences for not just the children with the additional needs, but also their classmates. Quite simply, a teacher would have to do the work of the SNA and would have to fill the gap. SNAs are vital to enable children who have a level of disability or some additional needs to stay in the mainstream classroom setting. The alternative is children falling away from school or going to an ASD class when that's maybe where they should be, or going to a specialist school. SNAs provide vital assistance, not just with physical needs of pupils, but also with the psychological, learning and emotional needs, and their crucial support. Some of these schools now have classes where up to 40% and 50% of the children are from households that English isn't the first language in the household, particularly in the Portish area. This needs to be factored in. This is a huge problem for families and it's a huge problem for teachers trying to cover this. The real problem with the NCSE and government plan, what was planned, is that there was an obvious attempt to narrow the role of the SNA and the lack of any serious engagement prior to that with SNAs, unions, parents, school representatives is regrettable. The circular sent out, and this is where the difficulty arises, the circular sent out was clear, and I quote, the behaviour should be supported holistically with the whole school and the whole class approaches. The individual needs should be supported by the class teacher. So the class teacher is then taken away from teaching the other 20 or 25 children each time that there's some disruption with the additional needs of a child that needs it. So, you know, picture that for a situation. Explain to me how that would work. It can't work. So you need to shred this NCSE plan. This shouldn't be just a stay of execution. Get rid of it. There needs to be proper engagement with teachers, with unions and SNAs. Work towards putting improvements in the SNA system and ensure that children have the proper support that they need in the place that they need it. Thank you.
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