How is it working for pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools?
Irish research on special education has expanded dramatically in recent years. In line with changing policy developments, there has been a proliferation of government reports and academic research published bringing Ireland up to speed with policy and research developments internationally. One of the key issues arising from this research is the special versus mainstream schooling for children with SEN within two track systems of special educational needs provision. Less attention however has been given to multi-track systems of provision where children with SEN can be placed in special schools, special classes or mainstream schools. Moreover, there has been a dearth of research on the extent and nature of the special class model in an Irish context and there is little knowledge of the experiences of students in special classes, their progression through the education system and the outcomes for students educated in special class settings.
This joint study between researchers at the ESRI, Joanne Banks (principal investigator), Selina McCoy , Dorothy Watson and Denise Frawley and Trinity College Dublin, Michael Shevlin and Fiona Smyth, offers an important contribution to special educational needs research in Ireland. Previous Irish research has highlighted the need for accurate data on this group of children and the difficulties around interpreting administrative data sources on the number of special classes and children in special classes. This proposed study, which is funded by the National Council for Special Education, seeks to address these difficulties by providing: Gathering data of this kind will provide valuable empirical evidence for policy makers and researchers and make a major contribution to the debates around special education in Ireland.
|
